Shelf classification: Politics/Political EconomyThe Politics of DeclineUnderstanding Post-War Britain'Decline' is a word commonly used in discussions of post-war Britain, and many books have been written explaining the reasons behind that alleged decline. By contrast, The Politics of Decline focuses on the politics underpinning this notion of decline. Tomlinson analyses how this term first came into common use in the 1950s and 1960s, how it developed over succeeding decades and how the Left and Right, as well as historians have deployed it.The key aim of the book is to show how economic decline has always been a highly politicised concept, forming a central part of post-war political argument. In doing so, Tomlinson reveals how the term has been used in an exceptionally tendentious manner to advance particular political causes. Coverage includes:? Explicit linkage of decline to political debate? Details of the historical emergence of the concept of decline? Examples of how historians have used decline politically? Evidence that the economic performance of the 1970s was actually less disastrous than commonly believedWritten in an engaging and thought-provoking style, The Politics of Decline will be a welcome, fresh perspective on, what is, a fundamental concept of British post-war politics.Jim Tomlinson is Head of the Department of Government at Brunel University.Cover: