State and Society in Western Europe
1. Auflage Februar 1995
656 Seiten, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
This is a major textbook in European politics. Comparative in approach, it examines the problems of West European democracies in the era of the Single European Act and the Treaty of Maastricht.
Allum discusses the politics of the four major Western European countries - Britain, France, Germany and Italy. He examines key institutions and developments in the light of contemporary social and political science paradigms, combining theory with empirical material. At the same time, he situates national politics within the broader context of European integration.
Comparative in intent, the book is organized around themes and not countries: economy, civil society and the state. It includes chapters on the economy, social structure, political cleavages and communication, parties and groups as well as governmental institutions (executive, administration, subnational government and coercive apparatus). Each chapter is illustrated with a wealth of concrete examples.
The book is intended for students of European and comparative politics, and for those concerned with the political aspects of European studies.
List of Tables.
Introduction.
Part I: The Economic System: .
1. Mixed Economies.
Part II: Civil Society: .
2. Class, Gender and Race.
3. The Forming of Civil Society.
4. The Changing of Civil Society.
5. Parties and Party Systems.
6. Groups and Interest Intermediation.
Part III: The State:.
7. Government and Executive Power.
8. Public Administration and the Policy Process.
9. Subcentral Government and Centre-Local Relations.
10. The State and Invisible Power.
11. Actual Democracy in Western Europe since the War.
Notes.
References.
Index.
Jack Hayward, Centre for European Politics, University of
Oxford
"This book has much to commend it, not least its highly
convincing attempt to fuse a 'conventional' political science
approach with a public policy framework to offer a deeper
understanding of western Europe's political systems ... the rather
unorthodox comparative framework is one [students of German
politics] may find stimulating." German Politics
"Very impressive." West European Politics
"This enormously ambitious work adopts a conventional thematic
approach based on case studies of Britain, France, (West) Germany
and Italy, but sets different priorities to those of other
available textbooks. Explicitly analytical, it examines the
relationship between the democratic constitutional state and
capitalist society in Western Europe ... Its depth and
comprehensiveness would recommend it as a 'review' text."
Political Studies
"State and Society in Western Europe will prove to be a
major textbook on European institutions and developments. It is a
highly readable contemporary and comparative presentation of four
European democracies and their institutions." Times Higher
Education Supplement
