Richard Gunther is professor of political science at Ohio State University. P. Nikiforos Diamandouros is professor of political science at the University of Athens. Hans-Jurgen Puhle is professor of political science at the University of Frankfurt.

The book has two chief qualities. The first is its uncompromising comparative scope and the subsequent complementarity of its parts. The editors avoid a common pitfall of edited volumes: lack of integration and unifying perspective... The second quality of the book lies in its ambition to transcend the boundaries of Southern Europe and draw insights from the understanding of that region's experience to be used more generally in the theoretical study of democratic consolidation... It is without doubt the best comparative work on Southern European politics to date. -- Stathis N. Kalyvas Journal of Modern Greek Studies There is a wealth of information here, but the outstanding merit of this volume lies in its illuminating comparative analysis. Foreign Affairs Many of the contributions are required reading for anyone interested in the postauthoritarian politics of southern Europe. -- Omar G. Encarnacion Comparative Politics

• List of Figures and TablesPreface AcknowledgmentsChapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. The Political and Socioeconomic Contours of Southern European HistoryChapter 3. Democratic Transition and Consolidation in Southern Europe, with Reflections on Latin America and Eastern EuropeChapter 4. Democratic Consolidation and the Military in Southern Europe and South AmericaChapter 5. The International Context of Democratic Consolidation: Southern Europe in Comparative PerspectiveChapter 6. Mass Mobilization and Regime Change: Pacts, Reform, and Popular Power in Italy (1918–1922) and Spain (1975–1978)Chapter 7. Legitimacy and Democracy in Southern EuropeChapter 8. Executive-Legislative Relations in Southern EuropeChapter 9. Organized Interests and Democratic Consolidation in Southern EuropeChapter 10. Political Parties and Democratic Consolidation in Southern EuropeChapter 11. ConclusionNotesContributors Index