This book charts the progress of the United Kingdom towards a modern democracy
and looks at the changing role of the state from 1830 to 1945. It examines the
electoral reform acts introduced between 1832 and 1918; the changing balance of
power between monarchy, government, the House of Lords and the civil service;
the development of the state from a laissez-faire to an interventionist one; the
growth of corporatism; and welfare provision. The author considers the key ideas
and thinking behind these developments and offers different perspectives on
events. He also highlights the main debates between historians about the
politics of the period. Democracy and the State