Draws together comparative policy analysis related to prominent women's issues in the UK, exploring their construction and management through the conceptual lenses of new institutionalism.

Acknowledgements / List of Abbreviations / 1. Analysing the Status of Women in UK Policymaking: How Do Institutions Matter? / 2. Hanging onto the Old: Path Dependency in UK Abortion Regulation / 3. Balancing Protection and Prosecution? The Rationality of UK Prostitution Legislation / 4. Demanding a 'Proper Victim': The Culture of Rape Policy in the UK / 5. Welcoming Public Debate: Developing the Regulation of Pornography through Open Discussion / 6: Conclusion: Harmful Stereotyping and Institutional Stronghold in the Regulation of Women's Issues / Bibliography / Index

Sarah Cooper is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Exeter.