West European Politics in the Age of Globalization

Over the past three decades the effects of globalization and denationalization have created a division between 'winners' and 'losers' in Western Europe. This study examines the transformation of party political systems in six countries (Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK) using opinion surveys, as well as newly collected data on election campaigns. The authors argue that, as a result of structural transformations and the strategic repositioning of political parties, Europe has observed the emergence of a tripolar configuration of political power, comprising the left, the moderate right, and the new populist right. They suggest that, through an emphasis on cultural issues such as mass immigration and resistance to European integration, the traditional focus of political debate - the economy - has been downplayed or reinterpreted in terms of this new political cleavage. This new analysis of Western European politics will interest all students of European politics and political sociology.

Author: Hanspeter Kriesi, Edgar Grande, Romain Lachat
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 09/18/2008
Pages: 448
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.70lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.10w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780521895576

About the Author
Kriesi, Hanspeter: - Hanspeter Kriesi is Professor for Comparative Politics in the Institute of Political Science at the University of Zurich.Grande, Edgar: - Edgar Grande is Professor for Comparative Politics in the Geschwister-Scholl-Institute for Political Science at the University of Munich.Lachat, Romain: - Romain Lachat is a visiting scholar at the Department of Politics of New York University.