Introduction 1
1 The Historical Context 6
The Emergence of the British State 7
Postwar Adjustment，1945-79 15
The Thatcher Revolution，1979-90 25
Blair and Beyond 27
2 Land and People 35
The Geography of Britain 36
Natural Resources 40
The Environment 44
The People of Britain 48
Nationalism and Regionalism 52
Immigration and Race 57
3 The Social System 61
Social Class 62
The Changing Family 66
Social Services and Health Care 69
Education 75
Law and Order 85
4 Government and the Political System 90
Principles of Government 91
The Constitution 94
The Monarchy 96
Prime Minister and Cabinet 101
Parliament 107
The Judiciary 112
The Bureaucracy 113
Local Government 115
5 Politics and Civil Society 118
Political Culture 119
Elections 125
Political Parties 129
Interest Groups 140
The Media 142
6 The Economy 149
The Structure of the Economy 150
From Hands-off to Hands-on，and Back Again 159
Britain in the International System 167
The Economic Implications of Europe 171
7 Culture and Lifestyle 178
Culture 179
The Identity of Britain 184
The Arts 188
Sports and Leisure 197
Religion 202
8 Britain and the World 207
The Changing British Role in the World 208
The Commonwealth 210
The Atlantic Alliance 213
Britain and the European Union 217
The Changing Role of the British Military 229
Conclusions 234
Recommended Reading 238
Britain Online 242
Bibliography 244