Contents pril 2011

In Prospect 7 If I ruled the world

Why kids should learn political literacy. david blunkett 8 Prospect recommends 10 Diary

Opinions 12 Culture clash

Multiculturalism could break the coalition. philip collins 13 A family affair egal reforms will cause misery and cost more. lucy sprinz 14 Japan will recover

Democracy, not stoicism, gives it resilience. oliver kamm 15 Hague must go shdown should be foreign secretary. ian birrell 16 The joy of e-reading

Don’t lament the loss of libraries. leo benedictus 17 My literary allergy

David Foster Wallace brings me out in hives. geoff dyer 19 Politics james purnell and james forder disagree about the alternative vote. 22 Letters plus stephen collins’s cartoon strip.

The World 24 The month ahead 24 Tunisia he best place to start a revolution. david goodhart 26 China he relentless Chinese school system. mark kitto

Features

28 What’s the point of the monarchy? It is an antique institution—but we would struggle to find a better alternative, says simon jenkins. plus vernon bogdanor on crown and constitution. peter kellner: exclusive Prospect/YouGov poll. david kershaw advises the royals on their brand. will self says they must go. edwina currie, bonnie greer, martin mcguinness and other public figures say whether the monarchy is good for Britain. 38 America—still fighting the Civil War It’s been 150 years since the start of the nation’s bloodiest conflict. The wounds it left paralyse America today. diane roberts Special report 43 The future of energy: beyond the turmoil Aspecial report on the risks to the world’s energy supplies—and the new alternatives. dieter helm: fossil fuels are not running out.

simon henderson: the real threats to supply. malcolm grimston: the future for nuclear power. roger harrabin: electric cars are the future. miles brignall: get solar panels soon. 57 Flash fish This is the age of aquariums: young men are spending a fortune on the “aqua-scaping” craze. Why? edward docx april 2011 · prospect · 5