Culture and values at the heart of policy making : ǂan ǂinsider's guide

Why do so many government policies fail to achieve their objectives? Why are our political leaders not held to account for policy failures? Drawing on his years of experience as a senior government policy maker, as well as on global research, Stephen Muers uses examples ranging from the collapse of the Soviet Union to Cold War Germany, the election of Donald Trump and the Brexit referendum to expose the crucial impact culture and values have on policy success and political accountability. This illuminating study sets out why policy makers need to take culture seriously, how culture and values shape the political system and presents essential, practical recommendations for what governments should do differently. Front cover Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents About the author Acknowledgements Introduction 1. What are culture and values? Part One: Why culture and values matter for public policy 2. Culture determines whether policies work 3. Culture and values determine whether policies are legitimate 4. Arguments about values and the purpose of democracy 5. Governments can’t help affecting culture Part Two: How culture and values shape the political system 6. Values voters 7. Accountability in a values‐driven system Part Three: How policy makers can take culture seriously 8. Taking symbols seriously 9. Doing more locally 10. Building organisations 11. Being smart about evidence Conclusion Notes Untitled References Index Back cover