This acclaimed text on comparative and Western European politics is now available in paperback. The book analyses the reasons for the continuity and stability o

A group of specialists trace the origins and development of political parties, explore their impact on the system in which they exist, and raise new questions a

The analysis of party systems in Western Europe has long constituted a major focus of concern in comparative political science. Now for the first time, many of

This is an analysis of the changing pressures and demands placed on party systems in 11 countries in Western Europe since 1945. This book includes studies of th

Long gone are the times when class-based political parties with extensive membership dominated politics. Instead, party politics has become issue-based. Surpris