Abstract
By the 1970s, the state was in decay. The viability of social citizenship entitlement was challenged by economic decline. The grip of the metropolitan elite over the state decayed, and elite self-confidence drained away. The capacity of the state to play a global role was undermined. Above all, the Unionist settlement – both in Ulster and in Scotland and Wales – was seriously challenged. By the end of the 1970s, the state was experiencing an existential crisis.
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Notes
- 1.
The best picture of the triumph of the way social citizenship conquered is in Beer 1969/1982; the authoritative study of the UK wide system of electoral competition is Butler and Stokes 1974, the latter, ironically, published in the year when it first became clear that the two party duopoly was falling apart.
- 2.
In a speech at Manchester in May 1975. The speech was addressed to the perceived problem of local authority spending, and was, characteristically, carefully phrased. What Crosland said was: “For the next few years times will not be normal. Perhaps people have used the words 'economic crisis' too often in the past. They have shouted 'wolf, wolf' when the animal was more akin to a rather disagreeable Yorkshire terrier. But not now. The crisis that faces us is infinitely more serious than any of the crises we have faced over the past 20 years…With its usual spirit of patriotism and its tradition of service to the community's needs, it is coming to realize that, for the time being at least, the party is over…We are not calling for a headlong retreat. But we are calling for a standstill.” – Crosland 1975.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
For a summary of the comparative position Moran 1999.
- 6.
- 7.
Titmuss 1958.
- 8.
King’s Fund 2014.
- 9.
Clery, Lee and Kunz 2013 is a summary of the polling data over three decades.
- 10.
Almond and Verba 1965, especially pp. 63–84. The reference is to the 1965 paperback edition. The five nations were the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Mexico.
- 11.
- 12.
A summary of the work on this by its most distinguished student is Norton 2013.
- 13.
Kavanagh 1980: 124–70.
- 14.
- 15.
Bagehot 1867/1963: 100.
- 16.
On this social world and its decay Cannadine 1992: 346–7.
- 17.
Natcen 2014. The polling data, however, suggest some later recovery in the Monarchy’s position based on the shrewd marketing of the latest generation of Royals, notably Prince William and his family.
- 18.
Gaber 2009.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
- 22.
Frankopan 2015: 322–40.
- 23.
Quoted, Harvey 2011: 4.
- 24.
The crispest summary is in Geddes 2013: 52–61.
- 25.
- 26.
- 27.
Exceeded only by the USA, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia: Ministry of Defence 2016.
- 28.
On CND Parkin 1968.
- 29.
Ministry of Defence 2016.
- 30.
On Cook’s initiative see Harvey 2011: 5.
- 31.
- 32.
Gregory et al. 2013: 184–6.
- 33.
Rose 1971: 208.
- 34.
The figures are from Phillips 2013.
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Moran, M. (2017). The State in Decay. In: The End of British Politics?. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49965-9_3
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