Party systems are crucial elements for the functioning of political systems and representative democracies. With several European countries experiencing significant changes recently, it is necessary to update our knowledge. This volume analyses party system changes in Europe in the 21st century by considering several dimensions such as interparty competition, the cleavage structure, electoral volatility and the emergence of new actors. The book describes the principal continuities and changes in party systems in Europe; analyzes the main explanations for these trends; and assesses the impact of the crisis on the patterns observed. By considering a wide range of Western and Eastern European countries, and focusing on the ‘parameters’ of party system change, this book seeks to fill an important gap in the literature through a comparative analysis of the evolution of party systems in Europe over the last decades. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of political parties, party systems and politics, electoral behavior as well as more broadly to European politics, comparative politics. political representation and the quality of democracies.

This book focuses on the issue of the agenda of party politics. Studying how political parties come to compete about some issues rather than others allows us to assess the role of new political parties. This book highlights the central role of the parties that have traditionally governed in West European countries.

Developments in West European Politics brings together specially commissioned chapters by leading authorities to provide a tightly integrated assessment of politics, government and policy set in a broad economic and social context. It focuses throughout on the impact of globalisation, West European integration and intra-European relations and the extent to which a new system of multi-level governance is emerging. Like other Developments titles it will be essential reading for students and specialists alike. Contributors include: Colin Crouch, Renaud Dehousse, Piero Ignazi, Herbert Kitschelt, Joni Lovenduski, Yves Meny, Loukas Tsoukalis

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 about the potential role of parties. Originally published in 1966. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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 the classic writings in this field have been collected into a single volume. The collection contains seminal writings by Weber, Neumann, Duverger, Kirchheimer, Daalder, Rokkan, and Sartori, as well as a selection from the more recent debates on changes in European party systems, including the contributions of Pedersen, Wolinetz, and Inglehart. The writings cover the development, stabilization, and transformation of party systems and include some of the key analyses which have sought to distinguish between different types of party systems.

Published in the year 1990, Understanding Party System Change in Western Europe is a valuable contribution to the field of Politics.

A study of party competition in Europe since 2008 aids understanding of the recent, often dramatic, changes taking place in European politics.