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.
The real lessons of the Blitz for Covid-19
A roundtable of experts in the UK's emergency civil defence response during the Second World War explores lessons for the current crisis.
Read MoreThe ‘rough sex’ defence: lessons from history
A recent high profile case highlights the controversial history of defences for murder, says Adrian Williamson
Read MoreNormalising bottle return and reuse: lessons from the Victorians on the limits of voluntary schemes
Parliament is examining proposals for voluntary bottle return schemes to reduce packaging waste – but Tom Licence says voluntary schemes have been tried before, and government intervention is needed
Read MoreThe BBC World Service and Global Britain
Gordon Johnston shows that the BBC World Service's reputation has historically rested on independence from government – a critical point as funding arrangements come under review
Read MoreThe reservoirs that weren’t: lessons for contemporary infrastructure planning
Victorian infrastructure development is lionised today, but this interdisciplinary case study of early-twentieth century Leeds shows that the problems faced by modern projects are nothing new
Read MoreHolocaust education and contemporary anti-semitism
Holocaust education is presented as a key means of combatting anti-semitism. Larissa Allwork shows in four case studies that it may not be effective in its current form.
Read MoreThe charitable status of elite schools: the origins of a national scandal
Professor Roy Lowe examines how 1,300 independent schools in Britain came to provide tax-subsidised education to the elite – freed from oversight by nineteenth-century compromises.
Read MoreHistorical content matters: a response to the critical thinking skills agenda
Academic historical scholarship feeds down into every day history, and shapes our “common sense”, making a huge contribution to social, economic and political outcomes in all areas.
Read MoreEscaping the Thucydides Trap in political commentary
Thucydides is often confidently invoked as a source of timeless political principles – in reality, his narrative explores the complex, unpredictable nature of events, and the power of rhetoric
Read More‘The last milestone’ on the journey to full adult suffrage? 50 years of debates about the voting age
Adrian Bingham reflects on the potential impacts of granting 'Votes at 16' on the British uncertain political landscape: do sixteen year-olds have the democratic capacity (or inclination) to make informed decisions, or is this part of a wider debate about the definition of citizenship in Britain?
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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.
