Briefings
The Legitimation of Meritocracy in Government Discourse 2007-2013
This study explored how policy narratives were created in the era in which Ed Balls and then Michael Gove were Secretary of State for Education, in successive governments of New Labour and the Coalition. It found that in both governments’ discourse, a distinctive policy narrative is created that is designed to appeal to core voters of the relevant parties while legitimating a meritocratic ideology that facilitates limited government action.