This volume examines the recent changes which have occurred in party systems across Europe. It concludes that parties in many countries are no longer bare reflections of traditional social groups. Rather, the structure in which parties compete is increasingly open and flexible, and subject to on-going change. The combination of comparative and individual case-studies provides strong evidence that political parties remain a potent, if changing, force in politics throughout Europe.
Series editors preface vii(2) List of figures ix(1) List of tables x(2) List of contributors xii(2) Preface xiv 1 Introduction 1(20) PAUL PENNINGS JAN-ERIK LANE PART 1 Comparing party system change 21(80) 2 Electoral instability and party system change in Western Europe 23(17) SVANTE ERSSON JAN-ERIK LANE 3 Coalition potential and governmental power 40(22) STEFANO BARTOLINI 4 Parties, party systems and policy effects 62(17) UWE WAGSCHAL 5 The triad of party system change: votes, office and policy 79(22) PAUL PENNINGS PART 2 Change and stability in established systems 101(82) 6 Electoral and parliamentary aspects of dominant party systems 103(22) FRANCOISE BOUCEK 7 Great Britain: a stable, but fragile, party system? 125(12) IAN BUDGE 8 German unification and party system change 137(14) OSKAR NIEDERMAYER 9 Party system change in Israel, 1948-98: a conceptual and typological border-stretching of Europe? 151(16) REUVEN Y. HAZAN 10 Electoral politics and governance: transformation of the party system in Iceland, 1970-96 167(16) SVANUR KRISTJANSSON PART 3 Change and stability in renewing systems 183(58) 11 Party system change in redemocratizing countries 185(17) ANNE BENNETT 12 The end of the beginning: the partial consolidation of East Central European parties and party systems 202(15) ATTILA AGH 13 The logics of party system change in Southern Europe 217(24) JOSE MAGONE Index 241
Jan-Erik Lane, Paul Pennings
