Politics in Crisis?

Exploring and challenging the assumption that politics is in crisis, this volume brings together a series of conference papers from the University of Nottingham Post-Graduate Conference of April 2013. It includes fourteen research papers from contributors from universities around the world, as well as an afterword written by Professor Michael Freeden of the University of Nottingham. Speaking to the common theme of Politics in Crisis?, the papers draw on a range of different theoretical and methodological perspectives in order to critique the notion of politics as both a theoretical concept and political practice. The volume brings together conference discussions centred around British Politics, International Political Economy, International Relations, and Political Theory. It is divided into three sections: the first focuses predominantly on the crisis at the heart of political institutions; the second considers crises in political action using several international cases; and the third emphasises crises within political theorisation. The afterword demonstrates the significance of each of these in questioning whether or not politics is in crisis. This volume offers an engaging read for academics and practitioners alike, as well as anyone interested in the dangers of democratic deficit, the challenges to political transformation, and the difficulties of developing systems of governance in Europe and beyond.