This major new account of the politics of modern Ireland offers a rigorous analysis of the forces which shaped both how the Irish state governed itself from the period since 1987 and how it lost its economic sovereignty in 2010.

This study comprehensively assess the last quarter century in Irish electoral politics from the time of the end of a deep recession in 1987 to the general election of 2011 where Ireland was ruled by the Troika and austerity was a by-word for both policy-making and how many Irish people lived their lives. It analyses why the political system in Ireland was unable...

Electoral competition in Ireland since 1987 is a major account of the politics of modern Ireland. Analysing how the Irish state was governed, this book encompasses the spectacular rise and catastrophic fall of the Irish economy, and the concomitant effects this had on politics and society in Ireland over the past quarter century. It assesses the nature of electoral competition in modern Ireland by focusing on a number of key themes that shaped the decisions of Irish politicians. These include the nature of coalition politics in Ireland; the payments to politicians by developers and...