Simon Hix is Professor of European and Comparative Politics in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Abdul G. Noury is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and the Institute for European Studies at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Gérard Roland is Professor in the Departments of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

'Combining a solid understanding of European integration with the latest advances in legislative studies, Democratic Politics in the European Parliament is bound to change our thinking of EU politics. Hix, Noury and Roland have produced a book that is empirically rich, theoretically challenging, methodologically sophisticated and yet written in highly accessible language. It is safe to promise that this book will become a landmark text among both EU scholars and students of parliaments.' Tapio Raunio, Professor of Political Science, University of Tampere

• Introduction; 1. Development of the European Parliament; 2. Democracy, transaction costs and political parties; 3. Ideological not territorial politics; 4. Participation; 5. Trends in party cohesion; 6. Agenda setting and cohesion; 7. Who controls the MEPs?; 8. Competition and coalition formation; 9. Dimensions of politics; 10. Investiture and censure of the Santer Commission; 11. The takeover directive; Conclusion.

Simon Hix is Professor of European and Comparative Politics in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Abdul G. Noury is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and the Institute for European Studies at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Gérard Roland is Professor in the Departments of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

'Combining a solid understanding of European integration with the latest advances in legislative studies, Democratic Politics in the European Parliament is bound to change our thinking of EU politics. Hix, Noury and Roland have produced a book that is empirically rich, theoretically challenging, methodologically sophisticated and yet written in highly accessible language. It is safe to promise that this book will become a landmark text among both EU scholars and students of parliaments.' Tapio Raunio, Professor of Political Science, University of Tampere

• Introduction; 1. Development of the European Parliament; 2. Democracy, transaction costs and political parties; 3. Ideological not territorial politics; 4. Participation; 5. Trends in party cohesion; 6. Agenda setting and cohesion; 7. Who controls the MEPs?; 8. Competition and coalition formation; 9. Dimensions of politics; 10. Investiture and censure of the Santer Commission; 11. The takeover directive; Conclusion.

Simon Hix is Professor of European and Comparative Politics in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Abdul G. Noury is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and the Institute for European Studies at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Gérard Roland is Professor in the Departments of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

'Combining a solid understanding of European integration with the latest advances in legislative studies, Democratic Politics in the European Parliament is bound to change our thinking of EU politics. Hix, Noury and Roland have produced a book that is empirically rich, theoretically challenging, methodologically sophisticated and yet written in highly accessible language. It is safe to promise that this book will become a landmark text among both EU scholars and students of parliaments.' Tapio Raunio, Professor of Political Science, University of Tampere

• Introduction; 1. Development of the European Parliament; 2. Democracy, transaction costs and political parties; 3. Ideological not territorial politics; 4. Participation; 5. Trends in party cohesion; 6. Agenda setting and cohesion; 7. Who controls the MEPs?; 8. Competition and coalition formation; 9. Dimensions of politics; 10. Investiture and censure of the Santer Commission; 11. The takeover directive; Conclusion.