Product Description

Uniting theory and application, the third edition of "Representative Government in Modern Europe" continues the tradition of previous editions by first examining the themes, debates, developments and structures driving European politics, and then investigating the way in which the theories behind them are manifested, comparing the historical development, distinct interpretations and present condition of several major European governments.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #321470 in Books
• Published on: 2000-12-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

About the Author
Michael Gallagher is associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Trinity College at the University of Dublin. He is co-author of Candidate Selection in Comparative Selection (London, 1988), The Referendum Experience in Europe (Basingstoke, 1996), and Politics in the Republic of Ireland, 3rd Edition (London, 1999). His current research interests include a study of the backgrounds, attitudes and roles of members of political parties. Michael Laver holds the chair of Political Science at Trinity College, University of Dublin. He previously taught at Queens University, Belfast, the University of Liverpool, University College Galway and has been a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Harvard University and Duke University. Recent books include Private Desires, Political Action (London, 1997), Playing Politics: The Nightmare Continues (Oxford, 1997) and (with Kenneth A. Shepsle) Making and Breaking Governments (New York, 1996). He is currently working on the impact of intra party politics on inter party coalition bargaining, and on the development of more dynamic models of government formation. Peter Mair holds the chair of Comparative Politics in Leiden University in the Netherlands and previously taught at the University of Limerick, the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, the University of Manchester, and the European University Institute, Florence. He is the author (with Stefano Bartolini) of Identity, Competition, and Electoral Availability (Cambridge, 1990), which was awarded the Stein Rokkan Prize, and of Party System Change (Oxford, 1997). Recent co-edited books include How Parties Organize (London, 1994), and Partien auf komplexen Wahlermarkten (Vienna, 1999). He is co-editor of the European Journal of Political Research and is currently engaged in a project on the long-term development of elections, parties, and governments in Western Europe over the period from 1950 to 2000.

Customer Reviews

Boring, poorly laid out, and lacking in inspiration
This book does nothing to inspire the enthusiastic undergraduate student of comparative politics. I could not look over its hundreds of paragraphs of boring, uninspiring text, for more than ten minutes before feeling compelled to turn to Lijphart. Colour and some sort of design would go a long way.

A good guide for students of European politics
At a first glance this book looks completely dull and boring, as do most politics textbooks. Therefore i think a bit of colour would go a long way.

It provides a basic overview of the current issues in European politics and is fairly up to date. The chapters are well written and they explain issues well. There is no use of unnecessary complicated language allowing arguments to be made clearly.

As a second year student of politics i would say that this is a must read if you want to get a basic overall understanding. However it does not provide in depth information about issues facing individual countries.