1 option
Beyond post-communist studies : political science and the new democracies of Europe / Terry D. Clark.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Clark, Terry D. (Terry Dee), 1951-
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Democracy.
- Democratization.
- Post-communism.
- Research.
- Europe, Eastern--Politics and government--1989-.
- Europe, Eastern.
- Eastern Europe.
- Politics and government.
- Europe, Eastern--Research.
- Political science--Study and teaching.
- Political science.
- Physical Description:
- xii, 178 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Armonk, N.Y. : M.E. Sharpe, [2002]
- Summary:
- This book makes the case that several East Central European countries have emerged as fully consolidated democracies. As such, they may be integrated into the mainstream of political science research, and not consigned forever to a transitional category encompassing countries that are now fully democracies as well as some that are not democratic at all. The author outlines the steps of another transition -- from post-communist studies to political science research. He demonstrates, for example, how institutionalist, or rational choice, theories can be applied to the analysis of political processes in the successfully democratized countries, and proposes a new research agenda for political scientists studying the region. The results of this work can enrich political science as well as our understanding of both democracy and the polities of contemporary Eastern Europe.
- Contents:
- Chapter 1 Going Beyond Postcommunist Studies
- Post-Communist Studies and Democratic Consolidation
- Paradigms in Communist Studies
- Democratic Consolidation
- Democratic Consolidation's Research Agenda
- Looking Ahead
- Chapter 2 The Study of Post-Communist Politics Stateness
- Democracy and the Market
- Bringing the State In
- Strategic Choice and Post-Communist Studies
- Path Dependency and Post-Communist Studies
- Institutionalism and Post-Communist Studies
- Contributions to the Agenda
- What We Are Not Asking
- Chapter 3 The Missing Agenda
- Bringing Society Back In The Distribution of "Democratic" Values
- Civil Society
- Social Movements
- The Rule of Law
- A Usable State Bureaucracy
- Issue Areas Outside the Agenda of Democratic Consolidation
- Principle-Agent Problems
- Local Government
- Institutional Development
- What Is To Be Done?
- Chapter 4 Reformulating Democratic Consolidation
- Transition Theory
- Toward a Theory of Consolidation
- A Theory of Democratic Consolidation
- Weakening and Increasing Competing Forces
- Increasing Institutional Involvement
- Further Explicating the Theory
- Implications
- Applying the Theory
- Russia
- Lithuania
- Chapter 5 Imagining Post-Consolidation Studies
- Fundamentals of Rational Choice
- Spatial Analysis
- The Median Voter Theorem
- Legislative Roll-Call Vote Analysis
- Legislative Committee Systems
- Relations with a President
- Presidential Vetoes
- Presidential Appointments
- The Courts as Political Players
- Analysis of the Party System
- Rules Matter
- Committee Systems
- Legislative Oversight
- Chapter 6 Further Extending the Post-Consolidation Agenda
- The Majority Cycling Problem
- Legislative Agenda
- Cabinet Formation
- The Portfolio Allocation Model
- Explaining Lithuanian Cabinet Formation, 2000-2001
- Chapter 7 Some Further Theoretical Considerations (with Jan Weiss)
- Toward A Formal Model of an Unconsolidated Democracy
- A Formal Model of Democratic Consolidation
- A Concluding Word
- Notes
- A Short Bibliography of Rational-Choice Literature Arranged by Subject.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-167) and index.
- ISBN:
- 0765609800
- 0765609819
- OCLC:
- 48943803
The Penn Libraries is committed to describing library materials using current, accurate, and responsible language. If you discover outdated or inaccurate language, please fill out this feedback form to report it and suggest alternative language.