The scope and intensity of the challenges currently faced by western European political parties is exceptionally large, threatening the viability of the manner in which they have traditionally operated and causing them to seek new behaviours and strategies. This volume brings together some of the foremost scholars of European party politics, whose evaluation of political parties in 'the new Europe' is organised under four broad headings: Parties as Corporate Actors; Parties and Society; Parties and the State and Parties Beyond the Nation State. Each contributor not only provides a concise,...

This is a comprehensive study that compares the origins, structure, composition and activities of cabinets in Eastern Europe and draws lessons from this comparison. Each chapter begins with a survey of the evolution of cabinets since the fall of communism at the beginning of the 1990s. The authors then look at the place of the cabinet in the constitution and on the role of presidents and prime ministers. At a time when most Eastern European countries are candidates for membership in the European Union, this volume provides a unique comparative presentation of the way in which cabinets have...

By the late 1990s Green parties had entered national governments in five Western European countries - Finland, Italy, Germany, France and Belgium.This book analyzes the performance of Green parties in these five governments by answering the following questions: what are the political conditions under which Green parties have gained effective office? How do Green parties behave in government? What is the impact of Green parties on the policy performance of the national government? What is the effect of government participation on the electoral and organizational stability of the Greens?

By the late 1990s Green parties had entered national governments in five Western European countries - Finland, Italy, Germany, France and Belgium.This book analyzes the performance of Green parties in these five governments by answering the following questions: what are the political conditions under which Green parties have gained effective office? How do Green parties behave in government? What is the impact of Green parties on the policy performance of the national government? What is the effect of government participation on the electoral and organizational stability of the Greens?

A fully-updated second edition of the presentation of the structure and workings of the national cabinets in Western European countries today. This book is based on a common framework which enables the reader to compare the origins, structure, composition and activities of these cabinets and to draw lessons from this comparison. Emphasis is placed on the leadership and on the character of coalitions. When West European ministers are working ever more closely together, a knowledge of the life of national cabinets is vital as is an understanding of the differences between types of cabinet...

Governing New European Democracies is a fully comparative study of decision-making processes in the cabinets of ten post-communist countries of East-Central and South-Eastern Europe. It is based on interviews collected from over 300 ministers. This book provides the first comprehensive panorama of life in cabinet governments.

Der Band liefert eine Einfuhrung in die Grundbegriffe und Konzepte der landervergleichenden Politikforschung anhand von konkreten Beispielen. Er erlautert die am haufigsten verwendeten Instrumente der Forschung und leistet Hilfestellung zur kritischen Beurteilung der herrschenden Forschungspraxis.

Dieses Buch wurde an der Universitat Luneburg erstellt und dort auch als Habilitationsschrift eingereicht. Finanzielle Unterstutzung bei der Datensammlung und der Datenanalyse erhielt ich von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft und vom Fachbereich Wirtschafts-und Sozialwissenschaften der Universitat Luneburg. Danken mochte ich Heinz Sahner und Uwe Thaysen fur die sehr hilfreichen Ratschlage bei der Erstellung der Endfassung dieses Manuskripts. Mein besonderer Dank gilt ferner Klaus von Beyme, J ean Blondel und Ronald Inglehart, die vor langer Zeit mein Interesse an der landervergleichenden...