POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civics & Citizenship

In the latest edition of Social Policy Review, experts review the leading social policy scholarship from the past year. Published in association with the Social Policy Association, this volume addresses current issues and critical debates throughout the international social policy field.

Rich in case study insights, this book provides an overview of city-region building and considers how governance restructuring shapes political, economic, social and cultural landscapes. Reviewing city regions in Britain, the authors address the tensions and opportunities for local elites and civil society actors.

Drawing on the history of social care, international comparisons and lived experience, this vital book outlines a different vision of social care as an essential part of England’s economic and social infrastructure that enables people to live good lives.

Identifying a pattern of risky experimentation with automated systems in the Home Office, this book outlines precautionary measures that are essential to ensure that society benefits from government automation without exposing individuals to unacceptable risks.

Thom Brooks draws on first-hand experience and interviews with key figures including past Home Secretaries to expose the UK's Citizenship test as ineffective and a barrier to citizenship. This accessible guide offers recommendations for transforming the citizenship test into a ‘bridge to citizenship’ which fosters greater inclusion and integration.

Djordje Sredanovic goes beyond the theory of citizenship and nationality policy to explore how it is carried out in practice. The book draws on interviews with frontline officers for a comparative analysis of experiences in the UK and Belgium, revealing the level of autonomy of those on the frontline of integration in each country.

Long term resident migrants to the UK still face significant barriers to citizenship. Dr Prabhat captures the experiences of those who successfully become British citizens through stories of belonging, citizenship, and the law. The book illuminates the gap between policy and practice in gaining British citizenship.

Questions of citizenship and the role of constitutions in determining its boundaries are under scrutiny in this judicious and accessible analysis from Jo Shaw. With populism on the rise and debates about immigration intensifying, it draws on examples from around the world to set out the shifting boundaries of state inclusion and exclusion.

This book provides a lively account of the gilets jaunes, the yellow vest movement that has shaken France since 2018. Charles Devellennes assesses what lessons can be drawn from their activities and the impact for the contemporary relationship between state and citizen.

Hindu Nationalism is not well understood outside of India, and its links to the global neoliberal trajectory have not been much explored. This important book shows why it is education, not a failed political system, that led to the rise of Modi and the right-wing nationalist ideology of Hindutva.

This book brings together leading figures in democratic reform and civic engagement to show why and how better state-citizen cooperation is needed to improve democracy and achieve positive social change across a range of policy areas and in varied national contexts.

Collates knowledge and examines the role and nature of community groups and activities operating outside of the formal voluntary sector in the UK to develop a coherent understanding about these so-called “below the radar” organisations.