Party Policy and Government Coalitions

Coalitions are the commonest kind of democratic government, occurring frequently in most countries of western Europe. It is usually assumed that political parties came together in a government coalition because they agree already, or can reach an agreement, on the policy it should pursue. This book examines this idea using evidence from party election programmes and government programmes. It demonstrates that party policies do influence government programmes, but not to the extent they would if policy-agreement were the sole basis of coalition.

Inhalt
Notes on Contributors - Introduction - Coalition Theory, Government Policy and Party Policy; I.Budge & M.J.Laver - Measuring Policy Distances and Modelling Coalition Formation; M.J.Laver & I.Budge - Coalition and Party Policy in Ireland; M.J.Laver - Norway: Policy Pursuit and Coalition Avoidance; K.Strom & J.Leipart - Sweden: Social Democratic Dominance in One Dimension; K.Strom & T.Bergman - Party and Coalition Policy in Denmark; T-L.Schou & D.J.Hearl - Coalition Governments in the Federal Republic of Germany: Does Policy Matter?; H-D.Klingemann & A.Volkens - Party and Coalition in Luxembourg; D.J.Hearl - Policy and Coalition in Belgium; D.J.Hearl - The Role of Policy in Dutch Coalition Building, 1946-8; P.Tops & K.Dittrich - Party Policy and Coalition Bargaining in Italy from 1948-87. Is there Order behind the Chaos; A.Mastropaolo & M.Slater - Party Policy and Coalition Bargaining in Israel; J.Bara - Coaliton Bargaining in the French Fourth Republic, 1946-58; F.Petry - The Relationship between Party and Coalition Policy in Europe: an Empirical Synthesis; I.Budge & M.J.Laver - Index