Part 1 The international context: Britain's century of decline - a world-systems interpretation, Peter Taylor; Britain in the post-war world, E.A.Brett. Part 2 The UK political crisis: the failure of the post-war order, Nevil Johnson; from the paralysis of social democracy to the crisis of the 1970s, Colin Leys; devolution without consensus - the experience of Northern Ireland, Liam O'Dowd. Part 3 Restructuring and the state: the economic borders of the state, Dieter Helm; the geography of military history in Britain, John Lovering and Martin Boddy; alternative forms of state intervention - the London Industrial Strategy, Greater London Council; intergovernmental relations in the post-war world, R.A.W.Rhodes. Part 4 Locality and politics: whatever happened to Red Clydeside?, M.Savage; the changing political environment of Lancaster, Jane Mark-Lawson and Alan Warde; local politics and the economy - the case of Sheffield, David Blunkett and Keith Jackson. Part 5 Changing bases of political support: union, party and class in Britain - the changing electoral relationship 1964-83, Paul Webb; media influences on voting in 1983, Patrick Dunleavy and C.T.Husbands; ideological change in the electorate, Anthony Heath et al.