This book reviews the policy implications of some of the most challenging developments in British society: climate change, ageing, greater ethnic and religious diversity, the debate about community and local area politics, democratisation, the international financial crisis, and the growth of popular disillusion with politics and politicians.

• 1: Peter Taylor-Gooby: Introduction: Public Policy at a Cross-Roads


• 2: Andrew Gamble: Economic Futures


• 3: Peter Taylor-Gooby: Squaring the Public Policy Circle: Managing a Mismatch Between Demand and Resources


• 4: Ian Gough: Climate Change and Public Policy Futures


• 5: Tariq Modood: Citizenship in a Diverse and Multi-Cultural Society


• 6: Pat Thane: Demographic Futures: Addressing Inequality and Diversity Among Older People


• 7: Anne Power: The Big Society and Concentrated Neighbourhood Problems


• 8: Gerry Stoker: Building a New Politics


• 9: Gerry Stoker and Peter Taylor-Gooby: How Social Science Can Contribute to Public Policy: the Case for a Design Arm

Peter Taylor-Gooby FBA, AcSS, FRSA is Professor of Social Policy at the University of Kent. He directed the ESRC Economic Beliefs and Behaviour, and Social Contexts and Responses to Risk, the EU Welfare Reform and the Management of Societal Change and Globalization and Welfare Reform and the British Academy New Paradigms in Public Policy programmes. He has published 22 books and more than 250 academic articles and chapters. He is and Director of the ESRC Social Contexts and Responses to Risk Programme. He is a State-appointed Visiting Foreign Expert to China 2008-11, Distinguished Visitor and Central Policy Unit Special Advisor to the Hong Kong Government and has advised the UK government on a number of occasions. He chaired the subject panel for the RAE and REF.