Britain

Policy Fatalism: Public Views on the Limits of Policy Action

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Gerry Stoker, Daniel Devine & Brenton Prosser

In their recent article, Gerry Stoker, Daniel Devine and Brenton Prosser introduce and develop the concept of policy fatalism, understood as the belief that governments are unable to address some of the most important problems facing society. The article argues that this captures a distinct orientation towards public policy and examines how such views are expressed across different issue areas, how they vary across groups, and how they relate to political attitudes. 

The authors position policy fatalism alongside, but distinct from, existing concepts. While debates on “wicked problems” emphasise complexity and difficulty, they do not necessarily imply that problems cannot be addressed. Policy fatalism, by contrast, centres on the view that effective policy responses are unlikely. The article also distinguishes policy fatalism from personal fatalism, which concerns individuals’ sense of control over their own lives. Policy fatalism instead focuses on collective challenges and the perceived limits of public action. 

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2019 P&P Annual Lecture with Baroness Sayeeda Warsi on Muslim Britain

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OscarOscar Berglund
Digital Associate Editor for Policy & Politics

Policy & Politics was delighted to welcome the Rt Honourable Baroness Sayeeda Warsi to speak to audiences in Bristol last night on her topic of being Muslim in Britain.

Baroness Warsi was the UK’s first Muslim Cabinet minister and has become a leading voice in the British debate on Islamophobia, not least within the Conservative Party.

Baroness Warsi began her lecture by saying that the recent shocking Islamophobic terror attack in New Zealand highlighted the importance of ‘having an open conversation’ to dispel the myths about what it means to be Muslim. In the current environment, where Islamophobia has become acceptable in so many areas of society, the Christchurch terrorist attack, she says, neither shocked nor surprised her. This conversation about the relationship between Islam and Britain is what Sayeeda Warsi seeks to promote in her book The Enemy Within: A Tale of Muslim Britain. This is a relationship stretching back to the 7th century that has suffered over the last couple of decades. She asks, ‘How do we reset this relationship?’ Continue reading →