Jane Green is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester and a Co-Director of the British Election Study, the UK's leading source of election data since 1964. Will Jennings is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Southampton.

'The Politics of Competence provides a compelling analysis of party competence – its causes, electoral consequences and political significance. This landmark study draws together disparate theories, assembles a prodigious amount of data and uses advanced statistical techniques to provide a fascinating account of the shifting relationship between parties and their electorates. Sophisticated, yet also accessible to the general reader, this book instantly becomes the gold standard in studies of party competence.' John Bartle, University of Essex

• 1. Introduction; 2. Conceptual problems, and solutions; 3. Three concepts of issue competence; 4. Explaining issue ownership change; 5. Performance of governments, and oppositions; 6. Generic competence and costs of governing; 7. Combined effects of ownership, performance and generic competence; 8. Conclusion; Appendices; Bibliography.

Jane Green is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester and a Co-Director of the British Election Study, the UK's leading source of election data since 1964. Will Jennings is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Southampton.

'The Politics of Competence provides a compelling analysis of party competence – its causes, electoral consequences and political significance. This landmark study draws together disparate theories, assembles a prodigious amount of data and uses advanced statistical techniques to provide a fascinating account of the shifting relationship between parties and their electorates. Sophisticated, yet also accessible to the general reader, this book instantly becomes the gold standard in studies of party competence.' John Bartle, University of Essex

• 1. Introduction; 2. Conceptual problems, and solutions; 3. Three concepts of issue competence; 4. Explaining issue ownership change; 5. Performance of governments, and oppositions; 6. Generic competence and costs of governing; 7. Combined effects of ownership, performance and generic competence; 8. Conclusion; Appendices; Bibliography.

Jane Green is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester and a Co-Director of the British Election Study, the UK's leading source of election data since 1964. Will Jennings is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Southampton.

'The Politics of Competence provides a compelling analysis of party competence – its causes, electoral consequences and political significance. This landmark study draws together disparate theories, assembles a prodigious amount of data and uses advanced statistical techniques to provide a fascinating account of the shifting relationship between parties and their electorates. Sophisticated, yet also accessible to the general reader, this book instantly becomes the gold standard in studies of party competence.' John Bartle, University of Essex

• 1. Introduction; 2. Conceptual problems, and solutions; 3. Three concepts of issue competence; 4. Explaining issue ownership change; 5. Performance of governments, and oppositions; 6. Generic competence and costs of governing; 7. Combined effects of ownership, performance and generic competence; 8. Conclusion; Appendices; Bibliography.