European Democracies

329 Pages·2017·5.107 MB·English

by  Markus M.L. Crepaz

European Democracies
European Democracies is an introduction to the politics and governments of Western, Central, and Eastern Europe.
Organized thematically rather than country-by-country, this fully revised edition examines topics such as electoral
systems, the European Union, refugees and the welfare state, and asks how to explain variations in policy outcomes,
and how globalization is affecting European Democracies, among others. Throughout, the author treats Europe as a
single but diverse entity and asks readers to compare what they learn about European politics with the politics of
their own country.
Key features in this new edition include:
An updated thematic introduction to the politics and governments of Europe;
Fully revised to include comprehensive coverage of recent electoral politics and political events in Europe,
such as Brexit, the refugee crisis, and terrorist attacks;
New chapters on immigration and the nature of European political culture and welfare state;
New comparative sections covering topics such as political parties, and financial and political differences in
governments between Europe and the USA.
This key, in-depth text will be essential reading to anyone interested in European politics and comparative politics.
Markus M.L. Crepaz is the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science at The University of
Georgia, USA. He has been at this institution since 1993 and is the Head of the Department of International Affairs
since 2009. He has published numerous articles on electoral engineering, European politics, interpersonal trust,
immigration, and corporatism.
“This book is quite simply the best text you can find on European Democracies. The 9th edition has not only been updated to
provide state-of-the-art coverage of the most recent developments such as terrorist attacks, Brexit, and elections across Europe
but includes two brand new chapters on most timely topics: immigration and the European welfare state and the nature of
European political culture. This edition provides excellent thematic coverage of all the essential topics and is designed to
provoke stimulating class discussions.”
Daniel Kinderman, The University of Delaware, USA
“An impressive fusion of analytical rigor with a capacity to stimulate lively discussions among students on politics and society
in Europe and the United States. This textbook uses a novel comparative perspective to explain differences among European
democracies, and between the United States and European democracies. I know of no textbook that does so as systematically
and vividly.”
Lisa Maria Dellmuth, Stockholm University, Sweden
“As a professor and program director in an undergraduate study abroad program in Europe, I rely on European Democracies to
give comprehensive and up to date information on European politics. Arranged thematically, this new revised volume provides
the latest information on electoral systems and their outcomes, cabinet formation, party systems, government types, power
sharing, and nationalism and ethnicity across European polities, among other important topics. Each chapter concludes with a
list of important terms and interesting and timely discussion questions. Especially impressive in the recent edition is the
chapter on the evolution of the former Communist states of eastern and central Europe and the discussion of globalization.
This chapter provides an excellent overview of the globalization concept and its consequences for governing in post-industrial
societies and is all the more important because of the rise of adverse views toward the EU and anti-immigrant political
behavior in Europe coinciding with Trump’s election in the U.S. I strongly recommend the Crepaz book for general courses in
comparative politics as well as classes on European political systems.”
Jerome S. Legge, Jr., University of Georgia, USA
“This is a truly comparative textbook. Organized not by countries but by concepts, Crepaz stimulates students to reflect on the
possible explanations for key differences among European democracies and between Europe and the United States. An
excellent basis for creative and vivid class discussions.”
Arend Lijphart, University of California, San Diego, USA
European Democracies
Ninth Edition
Markus M.L. Crepaz
Ninth edition published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2017 Markus M.L. Crepaz
The right of Markus M.L. Crepaz to be idenjpgied as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for idenjpgication
and explanation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Pearson Education, Inc. 1986
Eighth edition published by Pearson Education, Inc. 2013
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Crepaz, Markus M. L., 1959- author.
Title: European democracies / Markus M.L. Crepaz.
Description: Ninth edition. | Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon;
New York, NY : Routledge, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Idenjpgiers: LCCN 2016054051|
ISBN 9781138932463 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781138932494 (pbk.) |
ISBN 9781315679235 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Europe–Politics and government–1945– |
Democracy–Europe.
Classification: LCC JN94.A2 C74 2017 |
DDC 320.94–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016054051
ISBN: 978-1-138-93246-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-93249-4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-67923-5 (ebk)
Typeset in Garamond 3
by Cenveo Publisher Services
Contents
List of tables
List of figures
List of boxes
About the author and previous editions
Introduction and structure of the book
1 Becoming modern in Europe and America: different history, different politics
2 Political parties
3 “The most specific manipulative instrument of Politics”: electoral systems and how votes are turned into
seats
4 Parliaments and presidents: from legislative to executive authority
5 Courts
6 Bringing politics closer to the people: referenda and federalism
7 Social movements
8 Immigration and the welfare state
9 The ties that bind: political culture and the power of common forms of life
10 The European Union, “Brexit,” and Quo vadis?
11 Economics, politics, and the Greek Tragedy of 2015
12 Does all of this really matter – and why should we care? Explaining policy outcomes
13 Nationalism and ethnicity
14 Power sharing in deeply divided societies
15 Globalization and European democracies
Index
Tables
1.1 The decline of Socialist and/or Social Democratic parties since the 1970s in the United Kingdom, Germany,
Sweden, and Austria
2.1 Vote share, percent increase/decrease compared to previous election, and number of seats over the total number of
seats in the national legislatures for selected European radical right-wing parties
11.1 Comparison between pluralism and corporatism along four dimensions: the number of actors; their political
style; their type of interaction, and the degree of state strength
Figures
1.1 Public net social expenditures (old age, health, survivors, incapacity-related benefits, family benefits and others) as
percentage of GDP in 2014
1.2 The impact of taxes and transfers on percentage difference in poverty reduction
1.3 Percent respondents who state that “Religion is very important”; who “believe in Hell” and the sum of those who
“agree” and “strongly agree” with the statement that “whenever religion and science are in conflict, religion is
always right”
2.1 Location of Liberals and Conservatives on a dimension from state-controlled economy to free-market economy
and on a dimension from authoritarian to individualistic
2.2 Location of the New Radical Right and Socialists on a dimension from state-controlled economy to free-market
economy and on a dimension from authoritarian to individualistic
2.3 Location of Greens, Socialists, and Freedom Party of Switzerland on a dimension from state-controlled economy
to free-market economy and on a dimension from material to postmaterial
2.4 New, important axis of party competition
2.5 Comparison of voter turnout in 12 OECD countries in the early 1970s compared to the most recent parliamentary
election
3.1 Voter support and percent of parliamentary seats in the 2015 general election to the British House of Commons
3.2 Unimodal distribution of voter preferences on a hypothetical political dimension
3.3 Extremist distribution of voter preferences on a hypothetical political dimension
3.4 Percentage of popular vote and seats in the 2012 election to the Dutch Parliament (Tweede Kamer)
3.5 Percentage of votes and seats in the 2016 general elections to the Irish Parliament (Dáil Éireann)
3.6 German ballot for the general election in 2005
3.7 Percentage of popular vote and seats for the 2013 Italian Parliamentary Legislative Election to the Lower House
(Camera dei Deputati)
3.8 Comparison of voter turnout in 12 OECD countries in the early 1970s compared to the most recent parliamentary
election (For the USA: presidential election)
4.1 Relations between voters and the legislative and executive branches of government in presidential and
parliamentary systems
4.2 Perception of Electoral Integrity Index 2015
6.1 “Creating security”
8.1 Stocks of foreign-born population as percentage of total population
8.2 Responses to three queries
8.3 Percentage of respondents who answered two queries
9.1 Self-positioning on a left to right political scale based on the question: “In political matters, people talk of the ‘left’
and the ‘right’”
9.2 Average hours actually worked. Hours per year per person in paid employment
9.3 Respondents answering: “Government should reduce differences in income levels”
9.4 Respondents indicating their agreement on “Private ownership of business and industry should be increased” vs.
“Government ownership of business and industry should be increased”
9.5 Percentage of respondents disagreeing with the statement “Success in life is determined by forces outside our
control”
9.6 Percentage of respondents agreeing with the statement: “In the long run, hard work usually brings a better life” vs.
“Hard work doesn’t generally bring success – it’s more a matter of luck and connections”
9.7 The Great Gatsby Curve
10.1 Voter turnout to the 2014 European Parliament elections
10.2 Numbers of seats of populist radical right-wing parties in countries at the 2014 European Parliamentary election
10.3 Percentage of respondents “feeling more European or less European compared to ten years ago”
10.4 Percentage across all EU member states who respond “Yes” or “No” to the question: “Please tell me to what
extent the following statement corresponds or not to your opinion: You feel you are a citizen of the EU”
10.5 “What does the EU mean to you personally?” Percentage of those who indicated: “Loss of our cultural identity”
10.6 Percentage of respondents answering, “What general image does the EU conjure up for you?”
10.7 What is the most pressing issue facing the EU today?
10.8 “What does the EU mean to you personally?” Percentage of those who indicated: “Freedom to travel, work, and
study anywhere in the EU”
10.9 Percentage of respondents who indicated “tend to trust”
11.1 Union density (percentage of employees who are members of a union) in all 28 EU countries plus the USA in
1970 and 2013 ranked from lowest to highest union density
12.1 Relative poverty for total population in 2008 to 2012 (percentage of households below 50 percent of the median
income) ordered from lowest to highest poverty and total tax revenues
12.2 Relationship between total tax revenue and relative poverty
12.3 Economic growth, inflation, and unemployment ordered from highest to lowest unemployment in 2014
12.4 Gini coefficients in 2012
12.5 Women in parliaments
12.6 Gender Gap Index 2010
12.7 Global Competitiveness Index 2015 ranked from highest to lowest
12.8 Total health expenditures (private and public) as a percentage of GDP, and infant mortality (deaths per 1,000 live
births)
12.9 Life expectancy at birth in 2015
12.10 Murder rates (per 1 million population) ranked from highest to lowest, prison population per 10,000 population,
total obesity (males and females with a body mass index of more than 30) as a percentage of population
12.11 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores in mathematics, science, and reading in 2012
12.12 Press Freedom Index in 2016
12.13 Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in 2000 and 2012 (or most recent data available) measured in metric tons
per capita
12.14 Environmental Performance Index 2016
12.15 Official Development Assistance in 2014 (ODA) in percent of GNI
14.1 Two ideal typical societies with differing cleavage structures
15.1 KOF Index of Globalization
15.2 Percentage of sum of respondents who indicated that globalization brings to mind something “very negative”
and “fairly negative” and those who said it brings to mind something “very positive” and “fairly positive”
Boxes
1.1 Finland: Home of the $103,000 speeding ticket
1.2 Excerpt from Frederick Jackson Turner’s The Significance of the Frontier in American History (1893)
7.1 WHO records highest number of new HIV cases in Europe ever