Politics in the Republic of Ireland

Politics in the Republic of Ireland is now available in a fully revised sixth edition. Building on the success of the previous five editions, it continues to provide an authoritative introduction to all aspects of the government and politics in the Republic of Ireland. Written by some of the foremost experts on Irish politics, it explains, analyses and interprets the background to Irish government and contemporary political processes. It devotes chapters to every aspect of contemporary Irish government and politics, including the political parties and elections, the constitution, the Taoiseach and the governmental system, women and politics, the role of parliament, and Ireland’s place within the European Union. Bringing students up to date with the very latest developments, especially with the upheaval in the Irish party system, Coakley and Gallagher combine substance with a highly readable style, providing an accessible textbook that meets the needs of all those who are interested in knowing how politics and government operate in Ireland.-- Provided by Publisher Half-Title 2 Epigraph 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Figures 10 List of Tables 11 List of Boxes 12 Notes on contributors 13 Preface 16 Glossary 18 Acronyms 20 PART I The context of Irish politics 22 1 The foundations of statehood 23 The legacy of British rule 23 The transition to independence 29 The consolidation of statehood 32 Conclusion 40 2 Society and political culture 45 Political culture and its importance 45 Stability and change in Irish society 47 Ireland’s changing political culture 52 A divided political culture? 60 Conclusion 62 3 Politics, the constitution and the judiciary 66 The background: the Irish Free State constitution 66 The main features of the constitution 68 Amendment of the constitution 70 Judicial development of the constitution 73 The debate on constitutional change 80 Conclusion 84 PART II Representative democracy at work 90 4 The electoral system 91 Proportional representation in Ireland 91 How PR-STV works 94 The political consequences of PR-STV 99 Conclusion 104 5 Parties and the party system 109 Parties and party systems 109 The parties 111 Classification and evolution of the party system 116 The changing party system? 118 Party organisation 118 Party finance 123 Conclusion 125 6 Voting behaviour 130 Analysing voting behaviour 130 Explanations of voting choice 132 Leaders and candidates 140 Other aspects of voting 144 Conclusion 146 7 The Oireachtas: President and parliament 152 The president 152 The role of parliament: theory and practice 154 Appointment and dismissal of governments 157 Making policy 158 Scrutinising the behaviour of government 163 Seanad Éireann 166 A weak parliament? 168 Conclusion 169 8 The constituency role of Dáil deputies 174 The nature of constituency work 174 Causes of constituency work 182 Consequences of TDs’ constituency work 188 Conclusion 190 9 Women in politics 194 Women in society 195 Women in political institutions 197 Causes of the under-representation of women 203 Consequences of the under-representation of women 205 Conclusion 208 PART III Policy and administration 213 10 The government and the Taoiseach 214 Government formation 215 Taoiseach and cabinet 218 Ministers and departments 225 Monitoring Irish government 229 Conclusion 231 11 The policy-making process 236 Public policy and bureaucracy 236 Public policy and interest groups 238 Sectional groups 242 Cause-centred groups 246 Lobbying and the democratic process 248 Conclusion 252 12 The media and politics 257 Media and democracy 257 The Irish media sector 259 Media, parliament and government 263 Media and elections 266 The media in a changing world 271 Conclusion 273 PART IV Ireland in a wider world 277 13 Northern Ireland and the British dimension 278 Northern Ireland and the South 278 The Irish–British relationship 281 The Good Friday Agreement 284 Towards a stable political system? 290 Conclusion 293 14 Europe and the international dimension 299 The external environment 300 European Union institutions 302 Public opinion and attitudes towards Europe 306 Public policy and European governance 308 Emerging challenges 311 Conclusion 313 Appendices 316 1 Demographic data 316 2 Electoral data 318 3 Political office holders 325 4 Government departments, 1924–2017 328 5 Biographical notes on major political figures 331 6 Chronology of main political events 338 Index 341 This book continues to provide an authoritative introduction to all aspects of the government and politics in the Republic of Ireland. Written by some of the foremost experts on Irish politics, this new edition explains, analyses and interprets the background to Irish government and contemporary political processes. Edited By John Coakley And Michael Gallagher. First Edition Published By Psai Press 1992--title Page Verso. Fifth Edition Published By Routledge In Association With Psai Press 2010--title Page Verso. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.