Political parties and political systems : the concept of linkage revisited

Since its release in 1980, Kay Lawson's __Political Parties and Linkage: A Comparative Perspective__ has become a classic text in the field of political science. In her groundbreaking work Lawson approaches linkage from an angle left unexplored by her predecessors. Her thinking filled in the systematic and theoretical void by envisioning political parties as the link between citizens and policy makers. This collection of essays by leading political scientists reflects on Lawson's concept of linkage, its theory, and its application over the last quarter century. The work is divided into two sections, the first covers linkage's impact on party research and the second focuses on its application in general political science. The first looks at such topics as the evolution and intellectual development of Lawson's concept through social actors, policy responsiveness, and multi-layer politics. The second handles issues like globalization, the relation of state and society, the European Union and it's proposed constitutional reform, and the cross-cultural significance of linkage in such countries as India. The book concludes with an illuminating chapter by Lawson that responds to the featured themes and explains her current views on linkage and democracy.

Since its release in 1980, Kay Lawson's Political Parties and Linkage: A Comparative Perspective has become a classic text in the field of political science. In her groundbreaking work Lawson approaches linkage from an angle left unexplored by her predecessors. Her thinking filled in the systematic and theoretical void by envisioning political parties as the link between citizens and policy makers. This collection of essays by leading political scientists reflects on Lawson's concept of linkage, its theory, and its application over the last quarter century. The work is divided into two sections, the first covers linkage's impact on party research and the second focuses on its application in general political science. The first looks at such topics as the evolution and intellectual development of Lawson's concept through social actors, policy responsiveness, and multi-layer politics. The second handles issues like globalization, the relation of state and society, the European Union and it's proposed constitutional reform, and the cross-cultural significance of linkage in such countries as India. The book concludes with an illuminating chapter by Lawson that responds to the featured themes and explains her current views on linkage and democracy.

Preface: the concept of linkage revisited Linkage, or what else? The place of linkage theory in the study of political parties / Peter H. Merkl The prevalence of linkage by reward in contemporary parties / Piero Ignazi, David M. Farrell, Andrea Römmele Linkage processes in party networks / Mildred A. Schwartz French political parties and linkage / Colette Ysmal Pinball wizards: political parties and democratic representation in the changing institutional architecture of European politics / Kris Deschouwer Elites with(out) linkage in the new millennium: a challenge to elite theory / Eva Etzioni-Halevy State-society linkage in an era of globalization: the case of India / Subrata K. Mitra Political linkage in the European Union / Hermann Schmitt Linkage and democracy / Kay Lawson. In his novel America Franz Kafka describes a raucous rally at an election campaign for the local judiciary.