This thought-provoking and engaging book offers an insightful examination of public law, exploring the complex relationship between institutions, individual and state, and offering both explanation and critical analysis. Public law is viewed against a backdrop of differing types of governmental power and the problems to which this may give rise, with a particular focus being given to recent changes in the British constitution. By placing public law in its political context, the book seeks to take a different approach from that of a general textbook, thereby offering a fresh view of the subject that is topical, relevant and interesting. Whether used as introductory reading or as an ongoing companion to a main course text, this book will provide a valuable perspective on this fast-moving area that will be of great benefit to law students and politics students alike. A companion website featuring annual updates on constitutional developments can be found at: www.palgrave.com/law/syrett