Work

‘Crisis what crisis?’ Understanding the recurring problems of the British state

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This article seeks to explain the current crises besetting the UK state, arguing their seeds can be traced back to past failures to reform Britain’s pre-modern state arrangements. We argue the perpetuation of a political cutlure organised round the highly centralising British Political Tradition has proved increasingly incompatible with a fragmented governance landscape driven by forty years of New Public Management informed reforms. We posit this has led to an incoherent state reflected in a dysfunctional approach to public administration. The fault resides with successive governments attempting to deal with governance weaknesses through incremental, rather than system-wide reform. Muddling through has proved insufficient to resolving the deep structural problems in UK governance. We conclude that only a wholesale rethink and reform of the UK’s governance arrangements will resolve the current crises afflicting Britian’s antiquated state.

Source: The British Journal of Politics and International Relations

DOI: 10.1177/13691481241269329

Authors: David Richards, Martin J Smith, Sam Warner, David Marsh

Institutions: University of Manchester, University of York, University of Canberra

Language: English

Topic: Public Policy and Administration Research

Subfield: Public Administration

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450