Safe as Houses? Conservative Social Policy,Public Opinion and Parliament

Social policy is of key importance to contemporary society, accounting for two thirds of public expenditure and, through provision such as the NHS, pensions, benefits, schools, universities and social care, touching on the lives of much of the population on a daily basis. It has also been one of the areas where the Conservative party have sought to change their image, and to some extent policies, under David Cameron. Drawing upon a range of evidence, including interviews with more than ten per cent of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, this article examines the potential challenges for a Conservative government of either stance, focusing on the extent of possible support for the Conservatives' approach to social policy amongst three key groups: the public, MPs, and members of the House of Lords.     

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION FOR MINISTERS: THE MINIS SYSTEM IN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

MINIS, a management information system for ministers in the Department of the Enviroment, was introduced by Michael Heseltine in 1980. The article summarizes the main features of the system and analyses some of the issues arising from its introduction, in particular, whether it is likely to be adopted by other government departments or public bodies. The reasons offered by departments as to why it is difficult to transfer are examined, together with other factors which are likely to inhibit transfer to other public sector bodies. The mechanism for promoting the spread of such systems is also discussed. The conclusion is that MINIS ought to be considered by other bodies and it has almost certainly already had some impact on systems elsewhere in central government, but without a central initiative, more widespread adoption is on past evidence unlikely, although parts of it may be adopted.     

PRIVATIZATION AS INDUSTRIAL POLICY: STATE WITHDRAWAL FROM THE BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY

The distinctive feature of industrial policy towards the motor industry in the 1980s was the transformation in government policy from one of subsidizing bl to active encouragement of Japanese inward investment. This article focuses on the key events of the bl privatization and illustrates how the changing nature of the government's relationship with bl and the motor industry was a fundamental influence on policy change. It also examines the utility of policy network models in accounting for policy outcomes in a highly politicized policy environment.     

Sources of Stigma: Analyzing the Psychology of Affirmative Action

Numerous speculations exist about the psychological implications of affirmative action. One of the notions most prevalent among policy analysts is that affirmative action is stigmatizing and consequently is psychologically harmful to beneficiaries. In this article, the policy-analytic vision which leads to this conclusion is shown to have strong parallels with a particular interpretation of the formal social psychological framework known as Equity Theory. Flaws in both the policy analytic and the equity theory visions are highlighted through a reconceptualization of the policy in terms of the theory of Procedural Justice. The general argument is that psychological reactions to affirmative action are linked to the actual structure and perceived fairness of the procedures used to implement the policy. A review of the psychological research on the outcomes of affirmative action based on equity theory and procedural justice shows that psychological responses to the policy depend on the nature of policy-procedures. Since affirmative action procedures do vary and also seem to have legal bearing, it is argued that in order to develop an understanding of the psychology of the policy that is both valid, and relevant to policy design, a procedural justice conceptualization is necessary.