The Coalition Government And Social Policy

In May 2015, general elections in the United Kingdom shocked the world as a new Conservative Government was voted into power, ending five years of Coalition governance. Both a response to the actions of the Coalition Government and a reflection on the implications of actions taken during the first hundred days of the new Conservative Government, this book could not be more timely in its assessment of the current and future states of UK social policies. The first book to consider Coalition social policy in its entirety, it not only reviews and evaluates the extent of change under the Coalition--looking at the impact of factors like austerity measures on social policies and politics more broadly--but also draws out what the Coalition years will mean for the incoming government, outlining both the challenges and opportunities of its legacy.

With the Conservative Party breaking new ground in forming a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, this book examines the development and content of the Conservatives' approaches to social policy and how they inform the Coalition's policies. Chapters cover the development of Conservative Party social policy and specific policy areas. The book will be of interest to academics, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and everyone with an interest in the Conservative Party and the Coalition government's social policies.

This book offers an innovative account of social-control and behaviorist thinking in social policies and welfare systems and the impact it has had on disadvantaged groups. The contributors review how controls have been applied to individuals and households and how these interventions have narrowed social rights. They illuminate the links between social control developments, welfare systems, and the liberalization of economics, and they highlight the negative impact that behaviorist assumptions—and the subsequent strategies that have grown out of them—have had on the disadvantaged. Overall the volume provides a cutting-edge critical engagement with contemporary policy developments.

Drawing on a wide array of policy domains and events, this book provides an innovative account of social control and behaviourism within welfare systems and social policies, and the implications for disadvantaged groups. This accessible collection reviews the controls, assumptions and persuasions applied to individuals and households and explores broader themes, including how ‘new behaviourism’ was consolidated during the New Labour and Cameron periods. Social policy and social control offers timely engagements with key issues for researchers and policy makers, and is relevant for students in social policy, sociology, socio-legal studies, social work and social care, disability studies, human geography, politics and public policy, and gender, family and life course studies.

Coalitions are the commonest kind of democratic government, occurring frequently in most countries of western Europe. It is usually assumed that political parties came together in a government coalition because they agree already, or can reach an agreement, on the policy it should pursue. This book examines this idea using evidence from party election programmes and government programmes. It demonstrates that party policies do influence government programmes, but not to the extent they would if policy-agreement were the sole basis of coalition.

This thoroughly updated new edition provides a comprehensive introduction to contemporary social policy, and addresses its historical, theoretical and contextual foundations. Divided into four sections, it opens with a survey of the socio-economic, political and governmental contexts within which social policy operates, before moving on to look at the historical development of the subject. The third section examines contemporary aspects of providing welfare, whilst the final part covers European and wider international developments. The text explores the major topics and areas in contemporary social policy, including: work and welfare education adult health and social care children and families crime and criminal justice health housing race disability Issues are addressed throughout in a lively and accessible style, and examples are richly illustrated to encourage the student to engage with theory and content, and to help highlight the relevance of social policy in our understanding of modern society. It is packed with features including, ‘Spotlight’ ‘Discussion and review’ and ‘Controversy and debate’ boxes, as well as further readings and recommended websites. A comprehensive glossary also provides explanations of key terms and abbreviations. Social Policy is an essential textbook for undergraduate students taking courses in social policy and related courses such as criminology, health studies, politics, sociology, nursing, youth and social work.

The financial crisis of 2008 led the United Kingdom's Labour Government to make changes - primarily cuts - to social programs and a wide range of social services. The subsequent Coalition Government followed those changes with much more dramatic cuts. This book offers the first in-depth empirical analysis of the two governments and their approach to social policy in a period of crisis, assessing policy aims, policy implementation, and measurable outcomes.