Biography
Co-author with David Butler of two Nuffield College election studies (those for
1964 and 1966) and author: Britain Says Yes: the 1975 Referendum on the Common
Market and Running Scared: Why America’s Politicians Campaign Too Much and
Govern Too Little. Co-author with Ivor Crewe SDP: The Birth, Life and Death of
the Social Democratic Party. Editor: The New American Political System, New
Labour Triumphs: Britain at the Polls 1997, Britain at the Polls 2001 and
Britain at the Polls 2005.
Member, Committee on Standards in Public Life (initially the Nolan Committee,
now the Neill Committee), 1994-98. Member, Royal Commission on the Reform of the
House of Lords (the Wakeham Commission), 1999-2000. Current research: the
changing British constitution; the British prime ministership; American politics
and government; the history of democracy.
Teaching Responsibilities 2009-10
GV100 - Introduction to Politics
Publications
The British Constitution by Anthony King
This book is a rare Bagehot for the 21st century - the product of a
lifetime's reflection on the topic, and essential reading for anyone with an
interest in the nature and future of political life.
Published by Oxford University Press
Britain at the Polls 2005 by John Bartle and
Anthony King
Continues the tradition of previous editions by providing
incisive commentary on the 2005 general elections in the United Kingdom. John
Bartle joins Anthony King and a group of eminent political experts to provide a
measured analysis of the key issues and events that affected the election
results.
Contributors examine the behaviour and performance of each of the main political
parties, look at the impact of regional political parties in the UK, assess the
role of the media, and analyze how events on the international stage, such as
Iraq, affected the election results. The result is an authoritative and readable
guide to the intricacies and outcomes of the 2005 election.
Publisher CQ Press
Running Scared: Why America's Politicians
Campaign Too Much and Govern Too Little
Americans are exhausted by politics and politicians. Candidates campaign
endlessly, dodge their promises once elected, and then, instead of serving their
constituents, scramble desperately to raise money for the next round of
elections. Officeholders are too often enslaved to public-opinion polls. Worst
of all, in a morass of posturing and media spin, nothing ever seems to get done.
Could there be a simple yet overlooked reason for it all?
In this book, Anthony King argues that the United States has more elections,
more often, than any other country in the world, making the politician
vulnerable to the need for campaigning and fund raising. Politicians in the
United States single-mindedly worry about their electoral futures to the point
of 'hyperdemocracy: in essence, the American system is too democratic.
The book thus examines the history, causes, and consequences of hyperdemocracy
and suggests the following reforms: lengthening term limits, eliminating
off-year elections, reducing primary challenges and, in general, adopting a
division-of-labour democracy wherein the people evaluate a politician on overall
performance instead of directing his or her every move.
Free Press
Publishers
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