Party Politics in Germany: A Comparative Politics Approach (New Perspectives in German Studies)

__Party Politics in Germany__ is the only English-language study of its kind and examines the phenomenon of party politics in the Federal Republic through comparison across time and space. It draws upon new data from the 2002 Federal elections and recent Land elections, as well as on a far more explicitly comparative literature than is generally found in single-country studies. The book not only sheds new light on political phenomena in Germany but also allows students of the comparative method to apply some of the key concepts, models and approaches with which they are familiar to the rich context of a single country study. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Tables......Page 11 List of Figures......Page 14 Foreword......Page 15 1.1 Introduction......Page 16 1.2 Why compare?......Page 17 1.3 Rationale of the study......Page 18 1.4 Book structure......Page 28 2.1 Introduction......Page 31 2.2 Cleavage theory......Page 32 2.3 The Lipset–Rokkan model......Page 36 2.4 Germany in comparative perspective......Page 38 2.5 Summary......Page 48 3.2 Development of political cleavages in the Second Reich......Page 50 3.3 The Weimar Republic......Page 57 3.4 Summary......Page 61 4.1 Introduction......Page 64 4.2 The re-emergence of political cleavages: 1945–49......Page 65 4.3 The Federal Republic: 1949–69......Page 68 4.4 De-alignment and electoral instability: 1969–90......Page 69 4.5 Post-unification Germany: 1990–2002......Page 74 4.6 The 2002-Bundestag elections......Page 82 4.7 Summary......Page 86 5.1 Introduction......Page 88 5.2 Partisan identification......Page 90 5.3 Value-orientation......Page 106 5.4 Economic voting......Page 119 5.5 Summary......Page 126 6.1 Introduction......Page 128 6.2 State and administrative structures......Page 131 6.3 Electoral systems......Page 139 6.4 Party systems......Page 143 6.5 Summary......Page 152 7.1 Introduction......Page 154 7.2 Problems of establishing a single classificatory scheme......Page 156 7.3 Fifteen 'species' of political parties: German parties in comparative context......Page 160 7.4 Genus 1: Elite-based parties......Page 162 7.5 Genus 2: Mass-based parties......Page 163 7.6 Genus 3: Ethnicity-based parties......Page 170 7.7 Genus 4: Electoralist parties......Page 171 7.8 Genus 5: Movement parties......Page 184 7.9 Summary......Page 189 8.2 Political competition......Page 193 8.3 Political co-operation......Page 211 8.4 Summary......Page 239 9.1 Introduction......Page 242 9.3 Applying key comparative politics concepts, models and approaches......Page 243 9.4 Problematising the trade-off between depth and breadth, micro- and macro-level explanation......Page 248 9.5 The balance between the singularities of the German Sonderweg and the commonality of characteristics shared by Germany and other nations......Page 249 9.6 Finding a consistent theoretical framework: assessing the 'political marketplace' metaphor......Page 258 9.7 Final remarks......Page 261 Notes......Page 263 Bibliography......Page 265 E......Page 281 N......Page 282 P......Page 283 V......Page 284 How Much Does Germany's Past Weigh Upon Party Politics In The Federal Republic Today? Should Phenomena Such As Disillusionment With The Democratic Process And The Rise Of Right-wing Parties Be Considered More Worrying In Germany Than In Other Advanced Industrial Democracies? And, Ultimately What Are Political Parties For? Charles Lees Addresses These And Other Questions And Assesses The Balance Between The Dominant Paradigm Of Germany's 'special Path' (sonderweg) Of Political And Economic Development And The Commonalities Shared Between Germany And Other Advanced Democracies. Party Politics In Germany Is The Only English-language Study Of Its Kind And Examines The Phenomenon Of Party Politics In The Federal Republic Through Comparison Across Time And Space. It Draws Upon A More Explicitly Comparative Literature Than Is Generally Found In Single-country Studies In Order Not Only To Shed New Light On Germany But Also To Allow Students Of The Comparative Method To Apply Some Of The Key Concept, Models And Approaches With Which They Are Familiar To The Rich Context Of A Single-country Study. In Doing This Lees Problematises The Trade-off In Such Studies Between Depth And Breadth, Micro- And Macro-level Explanation, Rich Description And Abstraction, Inductive And Deductive Reasoning, And So On.--jacket. 1. Germany In Comparative Context -- 2. The Development Of Social And Political Cleavages In Germany Before 1945 -- 3. Social And Political Cleavages In The Second Reich And Weimar Republic -- 4. Social And Political Cleavages In The Federal Republic, 1945-2002 -- 5. Partisan Identification, Value-orientation And Economic Voting -- 6. State Structures, Electoral Systems And Party Systems -- 7. Political Parties -- 8. Competition And Co-operation -- 9. Conclusion. Charles Lees. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 250-265) And Index. How much does Germany's past weigh upon party politics in the Federal Republic today? Should phenomena such as disillusionment with the democratic process and the rise of right-wing parties be considered more worrying in Germany than in other advanced industrial democracies? And, ultimately, what are political parties for? Charles Lees addresses these and other questions and assesses the balance between the dominant paradigm of Germany's 'special path' (Sonderweg) of political and economic development and the commonalities shared between Germany and other advanced democracies. Party Politics in Germany is the only English-language study of its kind and examines the phenomenon of party politics in the Federal Republic through comparison across time and space. It draws upon on a more explicitly comparative literature than is generally found in single-country studies in order not only to shed new light on Germany but also to allow students of the comparative method to apply some of the key concepts, models and approaches with which they are familiar to the rich context of a single country study. In doing this Lees problematises the trade-off in such studies between depth and breadth, micro-and macro-level explanation, rich description and abstraction, inductive and deductive reasoning, and so on