European Politics

Jan-Erik Lane is Professor of Political Science at the University of Geneva.

`The political geography of this textbook is one of its major strong points. It elaborates the scope and content of European politics in a combined West European as well as Central and East European perspective. This dual focus provides the interested reader with a comprehensive overview of economic, social and political aspects of European politics′ - Work, Employment & Society`At last, a text that challenges both the student and the instructor! Not only are all Europe′s polities - West, South, East, North and Supra-national (EU) - compared, but the entire analysis rotates around a single theme: are they converging towards a common set of institutions and policies? I will not give away the answer, except to observe that Lane and Ersson marshal a good deal of evidence, making imaginative use of simple statistical tests, and come up with some intriguing and, surely, controversial findings. Recommended to anyone prepared to think seriously about the future of European politics′ - Philippe C SchmitterStanford University and European University Institute`The scholarly team of Jan-Erik Lane and Svante Ersson have already provided the field of comparative politics with such important empirically-grounded books as Comparative Political Economy (1990), Comparative Politics (1994), and Politics and Society in Western Europe (1994). In European Politics, Lane and Ersson apply their comprehensive knowledge of European government, economics, and society to produce a short text with a definite thesis: European nations in the 1990s are becoming more alike in state format, party system, pattern of government formation, and public policies. This original and provocative book, which emphasizes the role of parties in shaping national politics and policies, will spark a healthy debate within >comparative politics′ - Professor Kenneth Janda, Northwestern University`It is a considerable achievement to have brought the politics of the whole of the new Europe into a single text. The authors, in examining the political trends across a number of themes, show clearly the substantial differences, but - more significantly - the extent of real convergence. On any reckoning, European Politics represents a breakthrough in comparative analysis′ - Gordon Smith, London School of EconomicsJAN-ERIK′S FAVOURITE:`An unusual combination of a thoroughly focused book - in the style of Lijphart - and a comprehensive study with qualities of a textbook′ - Professor Dr. Klaus von Beyme, Universitat Heidelberg`The book provides an excellent overview and should prove most useful for a variety of teaching purposes.′ - Political Studies`The authors have presented cogent arguments, supported by rich empirical data, to give a quantitative perspective and macro-picture of European politics. Their assessment and conclusions offer new insights into the region which today presents two different ends of the spectrum - ranging from supranationalism to state making and identity formation. And therein lies the challenge to identify elements of convergence among such a large group of states.... By raising many critical issues, this study opens up opportunities to undertake further research in this area. Well written and well argued, this book is useful to both students and the researchers and it definitely meets a substantial need in the literature of comparative politics.′ - International Studies

• Convergence versus DivergenceHistorical LegaciesThe EconomySocial StructuresEuropean IntegrationPolitical InstitutionsParty SystemsGovernmentsThe Public SectorPolitical CultureConcluding ChapterParty Governance