Policy Press

Political Theory

Showing 1-12 of 59 items.

What Kind of Democracy Is This?

Politics in a Changing World

Has there ever been a period in modern history when democratic politics seemed more unpredictable or unruly? Matthew Flinders ranges expertly across architecture, art, fell running and fairy tales in an attempt to understand the emerging democratic landscape. This refreshing and stimulating book seeks to provoke and inform in equal measure.

Policy Press

What Is War For?

This book examines how changes to social rules reshape how states explain their military actions, and changes to technology and society transform contemporary warfare. Analysing the role that war serves in global politics, it outlines the ways in which war affects the contemporary world, from international relations to our day-to-day lives.

Bristol Uni Press

What in the World?

Understanding Global Social Change

Moving beyond the limits of parochialism, this book develops a truly global perspective on social change. It brings together renowned scholars from across disciplines and provides a range of promising theoretical approaches, analytical takes and substantive research areas that offer new vistas for understanding change on a global scale.

Bristol Uni Press

The Western Ideology and Other Essays

The Western Ideology brings together for the first time Andrew Gamble’s writings on political ideas and ideologies, which illustrate the main themes of his writing in intellectual history and the history of ideas, including economic liberalism and neoliberalism, and critiques from both social democratic and conservative perspectives.

Bristol Uni Press

Taxing Democracy

Local Taxation and the Social Contract in America

Carrie Manning’s illuminating book examines how policies to limit taxation at state and local levels in the US have direct and lasting consequences for equity, accountability, and ultimately for democracy.

Bristol Uni Press

States and Welfare States

Government for the People

Most governments in the world have taken responsibility for social policy and elected to develop services in health, education and social security. This book explores the role of government and the state in the contemporary world and discusses views about government responsibility for social welfare services.

Policy Press

Spectacle and Trumpism

An Embodied Assemblage Approach

This book advances new perspectives for critical thought by exploring the links between consumer culture and the post-truth politics of Trumpism, and how Trump embodies the frightening potential of capitalism to intersect with and enable fascistic forms of power.

Bristol Uni Press

A Science of Otherness?

Rereading the History of Western and US Criminological Thought

This book presents a critical history of criminological thought from the Enlightenment to the present day. Mehozay contends that Western criminological approaches are based upon ‘otherness’ which validate projects of control and exclusion, modernization and care, and even eugenics.

Bristol Uni Press

Science and Democracy

A Science and Technology Studies Approach

An invaluable resource to help understand the role of scientific knowledge in governance, societal developments and democracy, this accessible book introduces students to perspectives from the field of science and technology studies.

Bristol Uni Press

Saving Liberalism from Itself

The Spirit of Political Participation

Available Open Access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence

Timothy Stacey’s book critically reflects on what is missing from the liberal project with the aim of saving liberalism. It explains that populists have harnessed myth, ritual, magic and tradition to advance their ambitions, and why opponents need to embrace rather than eschew them.

Bristol Uni Press

Reimagining the International

Chinese World Ordering before the West

Bristol Uni Press

Reflections on Post-Marxism

Laclau and Mouffe's Project of Radical Democracy in the 21st Century

Edited by Stuart Sim

First published as a special issue of Global Discourse, this book explores the theoretical position of post-Marxism and investigates its significance in recent global political developments such as Brexit, Trump and the rise of the far right.

Bristol Uni Press