Interest organizations have always assumed a prominent place in European politics because they link states with citizens, institutionalize the resolution of social conflicts, regulate important sectors of the economy and society, contribute to workable policy outcomes and socialize members into democratic politics. However, the plethora of interest group studies that exist have not consolidated our understanding of these actors. These analyses have been subject to the vagaries of different theoretical perspectives and vary greatly in their conceptual and methodological frameworks....
Interest organizations have always assumed a prominent place in European politics because they link states with citizens, institutionalize the reso...
For too long Belgium remained an unexplored terrain by comparative political scientists. Belgium's politics were best known through the writings of Arend Lijphart, who considered it a model case of consociationalism. Over the past ten to fifteen years, the analysis of consociationalism has been complemented by a more detailed coverage of Belgium's spectacular transformation process from a unitary into a federal state, moving rapidly now to disintegration. Likewise, several peculiar aspects of Belgian politics, such as the record fragmentation of its party system, have been covered in...
For too long Belgium remained an unexplored terrain by comparative political scientists. Belgium's politics were best known through the writings of...
This text charts the profound changes in the European political landscape over the last three decades along the polity, politics and public policy dimensions. It discusses how political science has responded to these changes in terms of its substantive focus, concepts, methods and theories
This text charts the profound changes in the European political landscape over the last three decades along the polity, politics and public policy dim...