Democracy is the most widely used way of organizing politics in the contemporary world. Comparative Democratic Politics brings together a team of renowned international scholars to provide a comprehensive review of theory and research in this essential area of comparative study. A key aim to the book is to introduce and understand representative democracy as a political process and contemporary system of governance in need of constant attention and scrutiny. Four important themes include: * the contribution of comparative politics as a distinct field within political science to our understanding of democracy, democratic politics and democratic theory * what we can learn from a comparative analysis of the role, functioning and behaviour of the principal actors (electorate, parties and institutions) across nations * the relationship between politics and public policy formation and processes of democratic decision-making and corresponding policy-making capacity * how we measure contemporary democracy or democratic performance in both a procedural and material sense Comparative Democratic Politics will afford new and important insights to the contemporary study of representative democracy. It will be essential reading for all students and academics of political science and public policy seeking a deeper understanding of both the world's so called established and emerging democracies.
Hans Keman is Professor and Chair of Political Science at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam CONTRIBUTORS' AFFILIATIONS: Klaus Armingeon Institut fuer Politiekwissenschapft, Unitobler Uwe Becker Universiteit van Amsterdam Ian Budge University of Essex Francis Castles The Australian National University, Canberra Hans Daalder The Hague Svante Errson Umea Universitet Kees van Kersbergen Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen Jan-Erik Lane Universite de Geneve Peter Mair Universiteit van Leiden Paul Pennings Vrije Universiteit Manfred Schmidt
PART ONE: THE COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO DEMOCRACY The Comparative Approach to Democracy - Hans Keman The Development of the Study of Comparative Politics - Hans Daalder Comparing Democracies - Hans Keman Theories and Evidence PART TWO: PARTIES AND GOVERNMENT IN DEMOCRACIES Comparative Government and Democracy - Ian Budge et al Voters, Elections and Ideology in European Democracies - Paul Pennings In the Aggregate - Peter Mair Mass Electoral Behaviour in Western Europe, 1950-2000 PART THREE: DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND POLITICAL ACTION Interest Intermediation - Klaus Armingeon The Cases of Consociational Democracy and Corporatism The Impact of Political Parties, Constitutional Structures and Veto Players on Public Policy - Manfred G Schmidt Comparative Politics and the Welfare State - Kees van Kersbergen and Uwe Becker PART FOUR: THE POLITICAL PERFORMANCE OF DEMOCRACIES Policy Performance in the Democratic State - Francis G Castles An Emergent Field of Study Democratic Performance - Jan-Erik Lane and Svante Ersson Are There Institutional Effects? Democratic Institutions, Governance and Political Performance - Hans Keman with Malika A[um]it Mallouk
"Well balanced in coverage . . . recommended for graduate students, researchers, and professionals." -- CHOICE
