Policy Papers
History & Policy papers are written by expert historians, based on peer-reviewed research. They offer historical insights into current policy issues ranging from Afghanistan and Iraq, climate change and internet surveillance to family dynamics, alcohol consumption and health reforms. For historians interested in submitting a paper, please see the editorial guidelines.
Currently, 252 papers are freely searchable by theme, author or keyword, with new papers published regularly. Where possible, we publish papers to coincide with relevant policy developments. If you are a policy maker, civil society practitioner or journalist and would like to contact one of our historians, please contact [email protected].
You can download H&P policy papers directly from the Apple iBooks store to your iPhone, iPad or Mac. We also have an Amazon Kindle version to download to your PC for transfer to your Kindle via USB cable. Please consult your Kindle manual for further details.
From Herbert Morrison to command and control: the decline of local democracy
'Good Old 'Erb' Herbert Morrison was elected Labour Mayor of Hackney in 1920, one year after his party swept to power in a landslide victory that began a new age in London's local politics. His fellow London Labour Mayors numbered among them Major Clement Attlee in Stepney and George Lansbury in Poplar. Over the next […]
Read MoreThe animal cause and its greater traditions
Introduction It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that compared to other lines of reform, animals unfortunately enjoy the status of a lesser cause. In most circles, they never seem to receive the kind of seriousness and respect people pay to other 'more important' issues concerning humans. However large a collective […]
Read MoreNo turning back: family forms and sexual mores in modern Britain
Introduction Family policy is usually thought of and discussed as if it were separate from sexual issues, but the two are very much interconnected. In the Green Paper Supporting Families: A Consultative Document (1998) the Labour government set out the principles that have shaped their family policy. In this they stated that '[M]arriage does provide […]
Read MoreBritain’s police forces: forever removed from democratic control?
Introduction In the mid-nineteenth century, policing power was largely exercised by local government, and the boroughs of England and Wales fiercely protected the police powers exercised by their elected watch committees. These powers were symbolic of the city's independence, and police forces were crucial exercisers of executive power locally, concerning poor relief, licensing laws, the […]
Read MoreUlster Unionism and a sense of history
Introduction Both moderate Unionists and moderate Nationalists have put themselves on the line over the last decade in the attempt to find a political solution to the Northern Ireland problem. The nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) looks set to be further eclipsed by Sinn Fein at the forthcoming Northern Ireland assembly elections; David […]
Read MoreThe past and future of the NHS: New Labour and foundation hospitals
Introduction New Labour has had to come to terms with the party's previous history. Nationalised and centralised institutions such as the National Health Service (NHS), once praised as crowning glories of previous Labour administrations are now seen as problematic for the party. Many of New Labour's policies are as much about distancing themselves from 'old' […]
Read MoreIraq, past, present and future: a thoroughly-modern mandate?
Introduction The fertile land between the Tigris and the Euphrates has inspired some of the most important developments in human history including the invention of the wheel, the planting of the first cereal crops and the development of cursive script. Mesopotamia was known as the cradle of civilisation and today's Iraqis are the product of […]
Read MoreMedical science and public policy: handling uncertainty, managing transparency
Introduction Rather crudely one might say that scientific experts seek to reduce uncertainty, while stakeholders and the public aspire to learn the 'truth'. The problem with scientific endeavour is that its method, while powerful, requires very careful control of variable parameters during the investigation of the problem, while life has an altogether more messy feel […]
Read MoreIn search of security: earnings-related pensions in Britain and Europe
Introduction British pensions are in a sorry state. Pensions for the post-war baby boom generation, soon to move into retirement, are looking increasingly insecure. Prospects for later generations are little better. The problem is worst for women, whose longer lives and interrupted careers mean lower savings and a greater threat of poverty in later life. […]
Read MoreDon’t expect democracy this time: Japan and Iraq
Introduction Starting in the autumn of 2002, we began to hear that U.S. policymakers were looking into Japan and Germany after World War II as examples or even models of successful military occupations. In the case of Japan, the imagined analogy with Iraq is probably irresistible. Although Japan was nominally occupied by the victorious 'Allied […]
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About Us
H&P is based at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, University of London.
We are the only project in the UK providing access to an international network of more than 500 historians with a broad range of expertise. H&P offers a range of resources for historians, policy makers and journalists.
