European Politics Today: Second Edition

Front Cover
Manchester University Press, Oct 17, 2003 - Political Science - 283 pages
In this new edition, Patricia Hogwood and Geoffrey Roberts offer a comprehensive introduction to the political systems and processes of Western Europe. The book begins with an overview of the features and events that have shaped the political landscape of Europe up to the end of the 20th century. The authors go on to discuss liberal democracy, historical sources of conflict between countries, electoral systems, political parties and interest groups, governments and parliaments. The final section looks at federalism and EU decision-making and concludes with a consideration of how liberal democracies in western Europe have attempted to provide stable government while remaining responsive to changes in society. This book has been fully updated to take account of the French, British and Italian general elections that have occurred in recent years, as well as the momentous changes that have taken place in global politics as a result 9/11, and the preparations for EU enlargement. The chapters on the European Union and democracy in Western Europe have also been substantially revised to take account of globalization and recent political corruption issues.
 

Contents

Geoffrey Roberts
1
political parties
95
interest groups
106
Executive government
129
parliaments
150
10
171
Federalism devolution and local government
198
The European Union and the member states Patricia Hogwood
215
12
230
change Patricia Hogwood
244
Glossary and abbreviations
270
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

References to this book

About the author (2003)

Patricia Hogwood is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Glasgow Geoffrey Roberts was Lecturer in the department of Politics at the University of Manchester Geoffrey K. Roberts is a former Reader in German Politics at the University of Manchester

Bibliographic information