Policy, Office, Or Votes?: How Political Parties in Western Europe Make Hard DecisionsWolfgang C. Müller, Kaare Strøm, Robert H. Bates, Peter Lange Leaders of political parties often have to choose between conflicting objectives, such as influence on policy, control of the government, and support among the voters. This book examines the behavior of political parties in situations where they experience conflict between two or more important objectives. The volume contains a theoretical introduction and case studies of party leaders in Germany, Italy, France and Spain as well as six smaller European democracies. Each case focuses on the behavior of one of several parties in situations of goal conflict, such as the "historic compromise" in Italy, the 1982 Wende in West Germany, the making of the new Swedish constitution in the 1970s, and the termination of the Austrian "black-red" grand coalition. |
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Contents
Political Parties and Hard Choices | 1 |
Office Votes and Then Policy Hard Choices for Political Parties in the Republic of Ireland 19811992 | 36 |
Party Behaviour and the Formation of Minority Coalition Governments Danish Experiences from the 1970s and 1980s | 63 |
From PolicySeeking to OfficeSeeking The Metamorphosis of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party | 89 |
Changing Strategies The Dilemma of the Dutch Labour Party | 112 |
Party Behavior in a Polarized System The Italian Communist Party and the Historic Compromise | 141 |
Decision for Opposition The Austrian Socialist Partys Abandonment of Government Participation in 1966 | 172 |
Leadership Accountability and Bargaining Failure in Norway The Presthus Debacle | 192 |
Winner Takes All The FDP in 19821983 Maximizing Votes Office and Policy? | 216 |
Tradeoffs in Swedish Constitutional Design The Monarchy under Challenge | 237 |
Parliamentary Rules and Party Behavior during Minority Government in France | 258 |
Conclusions Party Behavior and Representative Democracy | 279 |
311 | |
Other editions - View all
Policy, Office, or Votes?: How Political Parties in Western Europe Make Hard ... Wolfgang C. Müller,Kaare Strøm No preview available - 1999 |
Common terms and phrases
accept activists agreed agreement argued bargaining behavior benefits budget cabinet Center chapter choices Christian clear coalition Communists competition compromise concerning confidence congress Conservative constitutional continued costs critical debate decision democracy depends deputies difficult discussed economic effects election electoral example expected faced fact factors Fianna Fáil final formation Gael gain given goals important increase influence institutional internal issue Italy June Labour Party leadership least legislative less Liberals majority minister minority motion negotiations objectives office-seeking opposition organization outcome ÖVP parliament parliamentary participation particular party leaders party system party's period political parties position possible preferences Press problems Progress proposals PSOE pursuit question reasons representative responsibility result role rules seats situation Social Democrats Socialist SPÖ strategy Strøm studies success trade-offs University vote voters wanted