POST-COMMUNIST PARTY SYSTEMS (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics) [Paperback]

Herbert Kitschelt (Author), Zdenka Mansfeldova (Author), Radoslaw Markowski (Author), Gabor Toka (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 052165890X | ISBN-13: 978-0521658904 | Publication Date: August 13, 1999

Post-Communist Party Systems examines democratic party competition in four post-communist polities in the mid-1990s, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. Legacies of pre-communist rule turn out to play as much a role in accounting for differences as the institutional differences incorporated in the new democratic rules of the game. The book demonstrates various developments within the four countries with regard to different voter appeal of parties, patterns of voter representation, and dispositions to join other parties in legislative or executive alliances. The authors also present interesting avenues of comparison for broader sets of countries.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Welcome in the field." Comparative Politics

"This hefty tome is the most substantial piece of research yet to emerge from the study of the transition to democracy in Eastern Europe." Choice

"This outstanding volume, authorized by a multi-national team and deploying an empirically sophisticated and theoretically driven research program, attempts to explain variation in the quality of democratic accountability, governability, and responsiveness in four postcommunist states...The result is an engaging and highly nuanced account that highlights the structuring role of communist-era legacies in shaping choices concerning new political institutions and the quality of democratic procedures...the book is theoretically rich, methodologically innovative, and opens new avenues for further research...a work of great distinction." Slavic Review

Book Description

Post-Communist Party Systems examines democratic party competition in four post-communist polities in the mid- 1990's, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Polan d. Legacies of pre-communist rule turn out to play as much a role in accounting for differences as the institutional differences incorporated in the new democratic rules of the game. The book demonstrates various developments within the four countries with regard to different voter appeal of parties, patterns of voter representation, and dispositions to join other parties in legislative or executive alliances. The authors also present interesting avenues of comparison for broader sets of countries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 457 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (August 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052165890X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521658904
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,546,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Empirical research in democracy, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: POST-COMMUNIST PARTY SYSTEMS (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics) (Paperback)

Kitschelt et al. produced an impressive comparative analysis of postsocialist party systems in four Eastern European countries (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Bulgaria). The book specifically focuses on such problems as political representation, programmatic competition, etc., and provides the necessary theoretical framework as well as abundant data. Ultimately, the authors try to assess the impact of different political configurations on the quality of democracy. What requires a special commendation, is the great number of diagrams and tables, thoroughly commented in the text but still providing the reader with the freedom of his own interpretation. The employed methodology includes political elite and electorate surveys, factor analytical and regression techniques, as well as a few indexes whose meaning sometimes is not very obvious. Although all analyses are based on people's opinions and perception, the authors contrast this data with a number of objective economic indicators. Most data is of 1993-1998, but the recent political changes are also mentioned. Overall, this book is an interesting, thought-provoking reading and a must for students of political and social transformation in the Central and Eastern Europe.

4.0 out of 5 stars Empirical research in democracy, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: POST-COMMUNIST PARTY SYSTEMS (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics) (Paperback)

Kitschelt et al. produced an impressive comparative analysis of postsocialist party systems in four Eastern European countries (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Bulgaria). The book specifically focuses on such problems as political representation, programmatic competition, etc., and provides the necessary theoretical framework as well as abundant data. Ultimately, the authors try to assess the impact of different political configurations on the quality of democracy. What requires a special commendation, is the great number of diagrams and tables, thoroughly commented in the text but still providing the reader with the freedom of his own interpretation. The employed methodology includes political elite and electorate surveys, factor analytical and regression techniques, as well as a few indexes whose meaning sometimes is not very obvious. Although all analyses are based on people's opinions and perception, the authors contrast this data with a number of objective economic indicators. Most data is of 1993-1998, but the recent political changes are also mentioned. Overall, this book is an interesting, thought-provoking reading and a must for students of political and social transformation in the Central and Eastern Europe.