José María Maravall – författare

This ambitious study, by a leading Spanish Social Scientist, analyses the mutual relationship between politics and the economy. Focusing on the experiences of Southern and Eastern Europe, it examines the complex interdependence bewteen democracies, economic growth, social redistribution, and political culture. Are democratization processes the product of previous experiences of development, or of economic crisis? Can political regimes influence economic development and the dirstribution of material resources? In a context of economic constraints, to what extent are social democratic governments able to present a distinct identity in their policies? And can democratic governments, once established, increase support for democratic principles? Professor Maravall explores these and other crucial questions utilizing a wealth of evidence from official statistics to public opinion polls. His appendices also provide chronologies of the most influential studies on these topics, offering valuable background information and ideas for further reading. Oxford Studies in Democratization is a series for scholars and students of comparative politics and related disciplines. Volumes will concentrate on the comparative study of the democratization processes that accompanied the decline and termination of the cold war. The geographical focus of the series will primarily be Latin America, the Caribbean, Southern and Western Europe, and relevant experiences in Africa and Asia. The series Editor is Laurence Whitehead.

Why are representative democracies extensively criticised, yet remain widely aspired to throughout the world? Many citizens believe that democratic politicians operate with privileged information that allows them autonomy from genuine democratic controls, a phenomenon reinforced by the opacity of internal party politics. In established democracies throughout the world there is a widespread perception that political parties compete for power, yet no significant differences exist between them. Moreover, economic inequalities are no longer redressed by national governments in a world where markets are dominant and relevant decisions have been taken out of domestic politics. Citizens vote, but their choice is hardly relevant. This has led to widespread demands for 'more' democracy. But what does that mean in practice? Can democracies introduce greater 'representation' of citizens' interests? Do politicians operate as an autonomous caste hardly challenged by voters? Has political competition become irrelevant for the welfare of people? Do citizens want more democracy in internal party politics? And turning beyond the nation-state, has the European Union changed the scope of policy alternatives and influenced the accountability of politicians? What have been the consequences of European integration for national democracies? In his major new book, José María Maravall examines these and many other questions fundamental to democratic politics in the 21st Century. In doing so he draws extensively on original empirical evidence from 21 OECD parliamentary democracies from 1945 to 2010, and 1,259 country/year observations focused on politics, representation, parties, inequality, economic policies, and the political and economic conditions of European integration.