Political Parties And Party Systems (P-293)

Political Parties And Party Systems (P-293)

This work is an introduction to the study of political parties and party systems. It focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on liberal democracies through a comparative approach.The aim ofPolitical Parties and Party Systems is to explain to students of politics how and why parties and party systems differ from one country to another. However, it also seeks to provide a more detailed understanding of party politics in five particular countries.Most of the chapters are divided into two sections. First, general themes and arguments about a topic are introduced, and examples from a large number of countries are discussed in relation to that topic. Then, particular attention is paid to five of the largest liberal democracies--Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States.Review`Ware has written a fascinating comparative approach to the study of political parties.'Choice`A book which could well prove of considerable value to a first or second year undergraduate new to this field of study.'Talking Politics`This book is a relatively rare bird - a text aimed ... at undergraduates that nonetheless takes an interesting and important subfield of political science and treats it in an accessible yet comprehensive way ... He has produced a book that students will definitely appreciate ... the book as awhole provides quite an encyclopaedic treatment of political parties ... this book, like all good texts, is an idiosyncratic statement of the author's view of the world rather than a bland search for its lowest common denominator ... the book is tailored for the British and more general Europeanmarket, and will no doubt be quite quickly adopted as a text on a wide variety of courses. It will, indeed, be fallen upon by many teachers, who will be very grateful to Ware for giving them a comprehensive, sensible, accessible and up-to-date introduction to the general field of political partiesand party systems.'Government and Opposition`Outstanding ... It will meet the needs and expectations not only of undergraduates but also graduates and faculty as well ... each chapter-topic is introduced with an examination and review of the relevant academic literature. This organization and approach mark a real strength in the volume... The discussion is illustrated with excellent data from a wide range of examples to make the arguments clear and contrast different parties and party systems ... cogently, clearly and precisely presents the analysis of parties and party systems.'DemocratizationAbout the AuthorAlan Ware is Fellow and Tutor in Politics, Worcesterr College, Oxford. His books includePolitical Parties (editor, 1987),Citizens, Parties and the State (1989), andElectoral Systems: A Comparative and Theoretical Introduction (with Andrew Reeve, 1982).