This innovative book provides an essential historical perspective on the boundaries of the state in modern Britain. The collection of inter-disciplinary studies gathered here is unimpressed by the apparent 'rise' of the state before 1979 and its supposed 'decline' in the wake of Thatcherism. The Boundaries of the State in Modern Britain constitutes a comprehensive and coherent attempt to delineate the many and varying aspects of public involvement in private life during the twentieth century. It shows how the state has advanced into some areas of life, whilst vacating others. It explores the impact of these changes on civil society and intellectual life in Britain. Finally, the contributors consider where the state might be going in the twenty-first century.