The British Political Tradition

Abstract

This chapter explores the key contention of the book: a dominant political tradition prevails in the UK, based on a centralised and hierarchical conception of power. In unpacking the literature on the British political tradition, this chapter provides a theoretical framework in which the competing influence of ideas, traditions and institutions on UK regulation can be recognised and understood. Fitzpatrick summarises the key contributions to the literature on the British political tradition, focusing in particular on the ‘classical wave’ of Birch, Beer and Greenleaf, followed by the more recent ‘critical’ accounts of Marsh, Tant and Evans.