This book examines the actual behavior of 400 governments in 20 postwar democracies (including those of Western Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Israel) to determine how political parties operate and shape the special characteristics of individual governments. It concludes that parties do function more or less as modern democratic theory says they should, and provides an understanding of democratic government and its moral justification.

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.

Four major themes covered are:

A the contribution of comparative politics as a distinct field within political science to our understanding of democracy, democratic politics and democratic theory

A what we can learn from a comparative analysis of the role, functioning and behaviour of the principal actors...

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...

Since the 1980s, political scientists have developed a renewed interest in the study of political institutions, based on the assumption that "institutions matter" -that is, that formal governmental institutions and constitutional-legal rules (as well as informal institutions like parties and interest groups) are crucial determinants of the shape of politics and policy outcomes. In this respect, the "new institutionalism" resembles the "old institutionalism" of pre-behaviorist days, but the crucial difference between the two is that the new institutionalists are committed to systematic...

This is an immensely helpful book for students starting their own research... an excellent introduction to the comparative method giving an authoritative overview over the research process

- Klaus Armingeon, University of Bern

Doing Research in Political Science is the book for mastering the comparative method in all the social sciences

- Jan-Erik Lane, University of Geneva

This book has established itself as a concise and well-readable text on comparative methods and statistics in political science I...strongly recommend...

This is an immensely helpful book for students starting their own research... an excellent introduction to the comparative method giving an authoritative overview over the research process

- Klaus Armingeon, University of Bern

Doing Research in Political Science is the book for mastering the comparative method in all the social sciences

- Jan-Erik Lane, University of Geneva

This book has established itself as a concise and well-readable text on comparative methods and statistics in political science I...strongly recommend...

The Politics of Problem-solving in Postwar Democracies focuses explicitly on the way in which and the extent to which public policy formation in multi-party systems can be both effective and legitimate; effective in finding solutions for societal problems which are beyond the citizens capacity; and legitimate in formulating policies that are acceptable to most involved. Cross-national variations in the way political institutions work and can be conducive to political consensus and cooperative behaviour are - so it is argued and evidenced throughout the book - the key factors for successful...