Comparative politics Books

Political parties and democratic politics go hand in hand. Since parties matter, it matters too when elected politicians change party affiliation. This book shows when, when, and to what effect politicians switch parties in pursuit of their goals, as...

This book presents the first major comparative study of EU Cohesion policy after the May 2004 enlargement and the 2006 Cohesion policy reform. Using a balanced selection of case studies from both old and new member states, it examines the implementation...

This edited book fills a gap in the literature on EU-Asia relations. The European Union and Asia are two regions undergoing significant changes internally while at the same time developing stronger relations with each other. In the context of an emerging...

This book explores the extent to which a transformation of public employment regimes has taken place in four Western countries, and the factors influencing the pathways of reform. It demonstrates how public employment regimes have unravelled in different...

The role of comparative analysis in policy studies has gained increasing importance in recent years. Comparative policy studies aims at comparing and contrasting public policy making across sectoral, regional and national boundaries in order to overcome...

What do we expect from our leaders, and how do we judge their performance? There can be no substantive assessment of leaders and leadership without comparing the fundamentally different contexts and settings in which leaders operate. At a time when...

White working class areas are often seen as entrenched and immobile, threatened by the arrival of 'outsiders'. This major new study of class and place since 1930 challenges accepted wisdom, demonstrating how emigration as well as shorter distance moves...

In the US and UK there has been a transformation in child care, family leave, social assistance and tax credits over the last twenty years. This book explores the factors behind these changes. With detailed case studies, it shows that ideas and the power...

Explores how the framing of issues on the EU agenda affects policy-making. In a study that traces the highly contested developments in biotechnology policy over twenty years, the book introduces the conceptual and theoretical tenets of policy framing and...

Boards of directors can help businesses succeed-yet many family businesses do not have functioning boards of directors that play a valuable role in providing oversight to their businesses.  In Building a Successful Family Business Board, the authors show...

Through the application of public opinion, interview, and printmedia analyses, this book provides evidence that the state of transnational identification among citizens in the EU as a result of postMaastricht integration measures, such as the completion...

Using the case studies of Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Lebanon and Northern Ireland this book dissects internationally-supported peace interventions. Looking at issues of security, statebuilding, civil society and economic and constitutional reform, it...

Does the democratic nation state remain a legitimate regime form in the current age of globalization? This book uses a novel, analytical approach to probe this topical question, drawing on a comparative study of legitimation discourses in the media of...

Why do states similar in size, resources and capabilities significantly differ in their basic orientations and actions across major domains in foreign policy, security and defense? This book addresses this important question by analyzing the major...

This book explores the effect of semi-presidentialism on newly-democratising countries. In recent years semi-presidentialism -- the situation where a constitution makes provision for both a directly elected president and a prime minister who is...

How could the small country called the Netherlands -- almost totally destroyed during WW II, being very poor and judged to be primitive at that time -- become one of the wealthiest, democratic and modern countries in the World? This book argues that...

The battle of national, state, and local governments to attract investment has been a high priority for decades. For example, US state and local governments give almost $50 billion in location incentives and over $70 billion in total subsidies annually...

Globalization has pushed China and India to the centre of the stage but what has been the impact on workers in these countries? This book demonstrates the complexity of the processes and responses at play. There are signs that both states are shifting...

This book analyzes Spanish political parties and institutions in comparative theoretical perspective. Two primary themes are addressed: institutionalization and the distribution of institutionalization in the polity, and the relationship between...

China and India growing interests in Central Asia disrupt the traditional Russian-U.S. "Great Game" at the heart of the old continent. Though for the moment India is unable to equally compete against the Chinese presence in post-Soviet Central Asia, New...

Privatization of state-owned enterprises and liberalization of trade and investment flows were two of the cornerstones of the structural reforms implemented by governments across Latin America in the 1990s. Spanish multinational enterprises were...

The Lomé Peace Accord, signed in 1999, presented significant implications, challenges, and possibilities for post-conflict Sierra Leone, but the literature on post-conflict Sierra Leone only scantily addresses these issues. This project seeks to address...

The behaviour of politicians and public servants often strikes outside observers as erratic, inconsistent and sometimes foolish. One way of understanding their behaviour is political anthropology. This book focuses on the everyday life of ministers and...

It is often argued that enhanced consultation of civil society may contribute to the democratization of European and global governance. This collection investigates whether this theoretical argument is supported by empirical evidence. Ten original essays...

The economic crises of the 1970s marked the end of the 'Golden Age' of the welfare state and triggered a broad range of cost containment measures in OECD countries. In the healthcare sector, cost containment is difficult to execute as the legitimacy of...

Since the end of the Cold War, Europe has been the stage of a large-scale project of international socialization. European regional organizations such as the OSCE, the Council of Europe, NATO, and the EU assumed the task of inducting the transition...

Pay inequalities between women and men are a key issue for labour market policy. This book provides new evidence on the magnitude and sources of these pay inequalities in European countries and New Zealand on the basis of micro data. Particular attention...

Contributors to this Hansard Society/Palgrave volume consider how British government and politics changed as Tony Blair gave way to Gordon Brown. Gordon at the Helm looks at a range of factors under Brown such as public opinion, party and opposition...

Debunks the simplistic narratives of youth-driven, social media revolutions in the Arab Spring.Taking to the Streets critically examines the conventional wisdom that the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings happened spontaneously and were directed by tech-savvy...

This book spotlights, analyzes and explains varying forms and patterns of state-society relations on the African continent, taking as point of departure the complexities created by the emergence, proliferation and complicated interactions of so-called...

If you prefer to think outside the box, then this book is for you. It is an insightful, penetrating, and far-reaching call to decency, integrity, and accountability. The book is a clarion call to re-evaluate our man-made world of dogmas, ideologies,...

With emphasis on East Asian and North American examples - notably Japan and Quebec - Date, Laniel and their contributors take a new approach to the understanding of small nations and their role in the international system.

Finer's study of foreign governments provides a thoughtful analysis of the political systems of several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. His insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by these nations...

Le Fur explore les différences et les similitudes entre les États fédéraux et les confédérations d'États. Il établit une comparaison détaillée des deux types de structures gouvernementales pour aider les lecteurs à mieux comprendre la politique et...

Un traité politique important, ce livre se penche sur les problèmes de la démocratie et de la décentralisation en France. L'auteur examine les implications culturelles et économiques de ces termes, et offre des solutions efficaces pour les problèmes les...

An incisive and thought-provoking analysis of monarchy and government by a highly respected Portuguese statesman. Castro's work is a compelling defense of the monarchical system, and offers valuable insights into the nature of power, legitimacy, and...

An exhaustive study of the political systems of Europe, this book is essential reading for scholars and policy makers alike. Lowell's nuanced analysis of the ideological underpinnings of various political parties and governments sheds light on the...

A thought-provoking study in comparative politics, The Electoral Laws of Belgium proposes a bold new model of parliamentary reform for England. This book is essential reading for political scientists and lawmakers alike.This work has been selected by...

This book examines the role governments play in managing policy challenges such as religion, romance, gender relations, same-sex marriages and privacy protection in response to social changes in marriage. Elizabeth van Acker asks whether governments can...

Gaffney analyzes how de Gaulle came to power in 1958: The drama surrounding the Fourth Republic's collapse, and the focus upon an exceptional individual meant that de Gaulle was able to confer a particular style of leadership on the Fifth Republic. The...