Asks how and why anti-political sentiment has grown among British citizens over the last half-century.

Introduction; 1. The problem of anti-politics; 2. Taking the long view and listening to citizens' voices; 3. Beyond trendless fluctuation: the broadening social scope of anti-politics; 4. Beyond permanent apathy: the broadening political scope of anti-politics; 5. Beyond the decline of deference: the rising intensity of anti-politics; 6. Beyond depoliticisation: the persistent force of stealth democratic folk theories; 7. Changing images of the good politician; 8. Changing modes of political interaction; 9. Changing folk theories: from stealth democracy to stealth populism; Conclusion.

Nick Clarke is Associate Professor of Human Geography at the University of Southampton.