Kris Deschouwer – författare

Modern democracy is organized as a representative democracy in which those representing the people are elected to office. Political parties play a crucial role in this. They select the candidates, form or oppose governments, and organize the work of the representatives in parliament. This model of democracy is however being criticized. Parties are hardly trusted and voters have become volatile. How, then, do elected representatives of the people see and fulfil their role? To study this a survey was organized among the members of statewide and sub-state parliaments in fifteen countries. Members of seventy-three parliamentary assemblies were asked how they perceive their representative role, what they do to keep in touch with voters, how they behave and vote in parliament and how they will try to get re-elected. One of the ways in which candidates and elected members of parliament might react to the changing conditions in which they have to represent the people is by stressing more personal characteristics as opposed to the party label and party ideology. Representation might then become more a matter of personal choice. The results of the survey presented in this book do however confirm quite strongly that representation is very much shaped by the political institutions in which it is performed. Representation differs between countries, between different electoral systems, between statewide and regional parliaments, and depends strongly on the party to which a member of parliament belongs. Representation depends not as much on who the representatives are, as on where they are.

Working from the basis of Arend Lijphart's 1968 work on divided societies, the authors go on to look at such cultures and subcultures thirty years on, bringing in new evidence and analysis to bear on the issue. They also examine the essential role of party politics within and between these ^D<"consociational democracies^D>", framing comparisons with a number of countries from Belgium to Israel.

Party literature is largely focused on the rise and success of new parties and their effects on party systems and older parties. This book, on the other hand, provides a valuable and original addition to such literature by analyzing what happens to a party when it enters government for the first time.Leading contributors assess how these parties, whether old or new, change when entering government by answering a set of questions:How and why has their role changed?What are the consequences of change? What explains the evolution from principled opposition to loyal opposition and eventually to participation in the executive? Which characteristics of the parties can be held responsible? Which characteristics of the parties’ context should be brought into the picture? What have been the effects of the status change on party organization, party ideology and electoral results? Covering a wide range of European parties such as the Finish Greens, right wing parties (FN, Lega Nord and Alleanza Nazionale) and new parties in Italy , The Netherlands and Sweden to name a few; this book will be of particular interest to scholars and students concerned with party systems, political parties and comparative politics.

Party literature is largely focused on the rise and success of new parties and their effects on party systems and older parties. This book, on the other hand, provides a valuable and original addition to such literature by analyzing what happens to a party when it enters government for the first time.Leading contributors assess how these parties, whether old or new, change when entering government by answering a set of questions:How and why has their role changed?What are the consequences of change? What explains the evolution from principled opposition to loyal opposition and eventually to participation in the executive? Which characteristics of the parties can be held responsible? Which characteristics of the parties’ context should be brought into the picture? What have been the effects of the status change on party organization, party ideology and electoral results? Covering a wide range of European parties such as the Finish Greens, right wing parties (FN, Lega Nord and Alleanza Nazionale) and new parties in Italy , The Netherlands and Sweden to name a few; this book will be of particular interest to scholars and students concerned with party systems, political parties and comparative politics.

This book examines the fortunes of social democracy since 1989 in the former GDR, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, setting the analysis in a broader European framework, and relating the current problems of social democracy in western Europe to developments in the east of the continent.

The third edition of this highly respected book covers the numerous political developments that have taken place in Belgium since 2012.This book features topics such as the implementation of the sixth state reform, the rebranding of political parties with new party leaders, several elections at all levels of government (from local to European) leading to new governing coalitions, democratic innovations in several parliaments, and, of course, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the challenges of climate changes on all political and social institutions.Key features:Gives an even-handed and analytically sophisticated account of contemporary Belgium politics.Explains the background to the territorial divide between a Dutch-speaking north and a French-speaking south that has shaped the political system and led to polarized communities and the need for institutional responses to internal conflict.Provides a thorough example of a consociational democracy, and shows how this form of democratic government, along with Belgium’s particular federal system, has provided a basis – most of the time – to govern a deeply divided country.Provides a comprehensive picture of Belgian politics, which helps answer the question of whether Belgium – and indeed other divided societies – can be governed in a legitimate democratic manner.This book is essential reading to students and scholars of Belgian politics and society, democracy and democratic innovations, political systems, and more broadly to European and comparative politics.

The third edition of this highly respected book covers the numerous political developments that have taken place in Belgium since 2012.This book features topics such as the implementation of the sixth state reform, the rebranding of political parties with new party leaders, several elections at all levels of government (from local to European) leading to new governing coalitions, democratic innovations in several parliaments, and, of course, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the challenges of climate changes on all political and social institutions.Key features:Gives an even-handed and analytically sophisticated account of contemporary Belgium politics.Explains the background to the territorial divide between a Dutch-speaking north and a French-speaking south that has shaped the political system and led to polarized communities and the need for institutional responses to internal conflict.Provides a thorough example of a consociational democracy, and shows how this form of democratic government, along with Belgium’s particular federal system, has provided a basis – most of the time – to govern a deeply divided country.Provides a comprehensive picture of Belgian politics, which helps answer the question of whether Belgium – and indeed other divided societies – can be governed in a legitimate democratic manner.This book is essential reading to students and scholars of Belgian politics and society, democracy and democratic innovations, political systems, and more broadly to European and comparative politics.

Regions are increasingly recognised as a key aspect of economic change in Europe, not merely as geographic spaces but also as social systems. Their history, culture, institutions and patterns of leadership mould the way in which they adapt to European and global competitive challenges. This book reviews the debate surrounding the construction of regions and presents eight case studies to illustrate how they are shaped and reshaped in a variety of different ways. The authors find that while some regions exhibit common patterns, there are significant variations, indicating that there is no definitive model of regional development.This book offers a systematic comparison of eight distinct regions and stateless nations, each with its own historical identity, but which is constantly being rebuilt in changing economic and political conditions. Avoiding economic or cultural determinism, the authors show how region-builders can shape their own responses to global challenges to produce models of development reflecting differing understandings and social compromises.Culture, Institutions and Economic Development will be warmly welcomed by academics within the fields of regional studies, European studies and political science.