This book examines the changes in the career experiences and profiles of 350 European prime ministers in 26 European democracies from 1945 to 2020. It builds on a theoretical framework, which claims that the decline of party government along with the increase of populism, technocracy, and the presidentialization of politics have influenced the careers of prime ministers over the past 70 years. The findings show that prime ministers’ career experiences became less political and more technical. Moreover, their career profiles shifted from a traditional type of ‘party-agent’ to a new type of ‘party-principal’. These changes affected the recruitment of executive elites and their political representation in European democracies, albeit with different intensity and speed.

This book focuses on Prime Ministers (PMs) in the post-communist democracies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It shows how the survival of PMs in chief executive office depends on their interrelations with other actors in three different arenas. The first arena encompasses the linkages between PMs and their parties. In this respect, being a party leader is a major power resource for PMs to retain office even under critical circumstances. At the heart of the second arena is the PMs’ relationship to other parliamentary parties. In this regard, the high fragmentation and fluidity of many post-communist party systems pose enormous challenges for PMs to secure constant parliamentary support. In the third arena, PMs are confronted with state presidents. Given their relatively strong powers in most CEE countries, presidents may use their constitutional powers to interfere in the political domain of PMs and thus jeopardise the stability of party governments. The book offers new evidence on these relationships from case studies and a broader comparative perspective. This volume will be of great use to students and researchers interested in comparative politics and government, European studies as well as political leadership. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of East European Politics and are accompanied by a revised introduction and a new conclusion.

This volume discusses the formation of government cabinets within twenty European democracies, providing the institutional background to the selection and de-selection of ministers. Exploring the historical and constitutional context to cabinet formation, this volume proceeds to provide vital data on the strategic issues that affect the selection of ministers. Covering states from all over Europe, the authors examine trends from the post-war period up to the present day, with specific focus on recent decades for the newer democracies in political transition. The volume includes: pioneering new research into the hiring and firing of government ministers vital information on appointments, dismissals and resignations within government cabinets succinct constitutional data relating to ministerial selections across a number of European states The book is the first output of the Selection and De-selection of Political Elites international network of scholars (SEDEPE) and will provide a major source of information for all scholars interested in the formation, maintenance and termination of cabinets and the nature of ministerial government. The Selection of Ministers in Europe. Hiring and Firing will also be of broader interest to students of European Government and Political Institutions.

Specially written for an American audience, this accessible encyclopedic survey covers politics in every individual European nation and in the European Union. The two-volume Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics is the first encyclopedic survey of politics in Europe especially written for a wide American public, including high school students. The first volume places national developments and institutions in a Europe-wide context and includes tables comparing European politics with U.S. politics. The second volume discusses the individual European nations by regional group, facilitating comparison of a country with neighboring nations. All European countries are covered, including Turkey, Russia, and the Caucasian republics of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Each country profile includes an introduction to the land, the people, the economy, and the culture, as well as a timeline of historic highlights. The nation's political system is discussed, as are public policies and the major political parties. Each entry also provides tables listing heads of state, the composition of the legislative body, and the political leaders.

Cabinets in Eastern Europe is a comprehensive study which enables the reader to compare the origins, structure, composition and activities of these cabinets and to draw lessons from this comparison. Each chapter begins with a survey of the evolution of cabinets since the fall of communism at the beginning of the 1990s. The emphasis is then laid on the place of the cabinet in the constitution and on the role of presidents and prime ministers in the formation of the life of each cabinet. At a time when most Eastern European countries are candidates for membership in the European Union, this volume provides a unique comparative presentation of the way in which cabinets have been evolving in Eastern Europe since the end of communism.

This short and simple introduction to European politics, which includes Western and Eastern Europe as well as Russia, demonstrates how European nations have attempted to cope with division within Europe and in international politics. Highlighting differences with U.S. politics, Slomp examines the European system from various perspectives, including geography, religion, economics, and social composition. Two separate chapters discuss relations within the European Union as well as its interaction with nations outside the group. Tables and figures provide a wealth of information on the location of minorities, the ideological spectrum, and social policies. Directed toward both an American and a European readership, this study includes information about the importance of ethnicity and religion, the impact of new migration waves, and the position of the labor movement. It covers the role of political parties, the Americanization of election campaigns, and the prevalence of coalition governments. A chapter on European style civil society focuses on the influence of pressure groups, the popularity of formal business/trade union/government contracts, the mass media, local politics, and federal political systems. Every chapter deals with the social transformation of the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. A final section contains a brief description of all the nations by groupings.

"This book will be a valuable addition to the existing literature in the area, appealing to academics and researchers in European and transition studies."--BOOK JACKET.

Today representative democracy is the dominant political system in the world. Britain played a prominent part in the democratization of the world through both its constitutional reforms at home and its power and influence abroad. In that process, Prime Ministers played a prominent role through their power and influence in government, Parliament and the country more generally. Quinault examines the stance of ten leading Prime Ministers - from the mid-nineteenth century until the twenty-first century - on the theory and practice of democracy. The attitude of each Prime Minister is assessed by considering their general views on democracy and their use of that term and concept in their discourse and thereby their role in advancing or resisting democratic political change. Particular attention is paid to their role in electoral reform, together with their stance on the composition and powers of the House of Lords and the role of the monarchy in the governing process. Their attitudes to the democratic aspects of some major international issues are also considered.

Politics in Europe, Seventh Edition introduces students to the power of the European Union as well as seven political systems—the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland—within a common analytical framework that enables students to conduct both single-case and cross-national analysis. Each case addresses the most relevant questions of comparative political analysis: who governs, on behalf of what values, with the collaboration of what groups, in the face of what kind of opposition, and with what socioeconomic and political consequences? Packed with captivating photos and robust country descriptions from regional specialists, the Seventh Edition enables students to think critically about these questions and make meaningful cross-national comparisons.