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History & Policy papers are written by historians and offer historical insights into current policy issues. See About H&P papers for more information, or if you are an historian you can submit a paper.
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Latest papers
Torture and intelligence gathering in Western democracies
Calder Walton uncovers the history of interrogation and argues that torture is counter-productive and produces unreliable evidence.
Published: October 2008
The 'credit crunch' and the importance of trust
Geoffrey Hosking puts the current financial crisis in historical context and shows how it falls within a cycle of trust.
Published: October 2008
How to talk about redistribution: a historical perspective
Ben Jackson shows how politicians can talk about economic redistribution without scaring voters, by drawing on the speeches of progessive leaders of the past.
Published: September 2008
Hosepipes, history and a sustainable future
Vanessa Taylor and Frank Trentmann look at the history of water consumption and regulation, finding lessons for future periods of water scarcity.
Published: July 2008