Michael Keating & Ian McAllister  
The Problem of Governing 
Essays for Richard Rose

This book provides an appreciation of the work of renowned scholar Richard Rose. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Rose has explored a vast range of subjects related to British, American and comparative politics. His work, however, has always been concerned with an underlying theme: governing modern societies in changing times. Celebrating Rose’s career which has shaped postwar political science in decisive ways, this volume examines issues, debates and lines of research stimulated by his work. Chapters are organized thematically under five headings central to his research: parties and elections, political institutions, public policy, governing at multiple levels, and trust and legitimacy. The book demonstrates that politics cannot be reduced to economics, the actions of individuals, predictive science or functional determinism, but has its own logic and modes of justification. It will appeal to scholars and students of politics, public policy and governance.

Table of Content

Chapter 1: Introduction: Richard Rose: Connections Over Sixty Years.- Part I: Governing at Multiple Levels.- Chapter 2: Politics in England.- Chapter 3: The United Kingdom as an Intellectual Puzzle.- Part II: Parties and Elections.- Chapter 4: Must Labour Lose?.- Chapter 5: Studying the Interplay of Party Support and Turnout.- Part III: Institutions and Governing.- Chapter 6: Presidents and Prime Ministers: Then and Now.- Chapter 7: The Problem of Party Government.- Chapter 8: Understanding Big Government.- Part IV: Public Policy.- Chapter 9: Learning Across Time and Space: Richard Rose’s Work on Lesson-Drawing.- Chapter 10: Inheritance Before Choice.- Chapter 11: The Ordinary People Perspective: Coping at the Grass-Roots.- Chapter 12: Governments and Citizens Under Stress.- Part V: Trust and Legitimacy.- Chapter 13: Democracy and its Alternatives.- Chapter 14: Northern Ireland: Searching for Consensus.- Chapter 15: Reflections.

About the author

Michael Keating is Emeritus Professor at the University of Aberdeen, UK



Ian Mc Allister is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University, Australia 





Edward C. Page is Sidney and Beatrice Webb Professor of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK





B. Guy Peters is Maurice Falk Professor of American Government at the University of Pittsburgh, USA