Becoming party politicians : eastern German state legislators in the decade following democratization / Louise K. Davidson-Schmich.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Davidson-Schmich, Louise K., 1968-

Series:

Contemporary European politics and society

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Legislative bodies--Germany--States.

Legislative bodies.

Legislators--Germany (East)--Attitudes.

Legislators.

Legislators--Germany (West)--Attitudes.

Political parties--Germany.

Political parties.

Germany.

Democracy--Germany.

Democracy.

Germany (West).

Germany (East).

Physical Description:

xvii, 212 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Notre Dame, Ind. : University of Notre Dame Press, [2006]

Summary:

After the Berlin Wall fell, scholars flocked to eastern Europe to conduct extensive opinion research on citizens' political attitudes and values. In eastern Germany, new post-communist political elites' political attitudes and values were found to differ considerably from western German politicians'; these differences were expected to be hurdles to democratization. Yet only limited research has been done to determine whether eastern German politicians' attitudes and values actually influenced their actions. Becoming Party Politicians fills this empirical void by comparing eastern and western German state legislators in the decade following unification. The book finds little evidence to suggest that the political attitudes and values of eastern parliamentarians have hindered their adaptation to united Germany's political system.

Davidson-Schmich's conclusions, based on personal interviews with state legislators and analysis of parliamentary debates between 1990 and 2002, not only shed light on German politics and the sources of legislator behavior; they also contribute to broader debates involving both the ability of western European political institutions to survive societal change and the influence of political institutions on the consolidation of democracy in post-communist settings.

Contents:

Eastern German state legislators' political attitudes and the party state

Becoming party politicians : eastern German state legislators' ties to political parties

Becoming disciplined : eastern German state legislators and party discipline

Becoming representatives : eastern German state legislators, direct democracy, and economic equality

Eastern German state legislators, political tolerance, and Germany's same-sex partnership law

How and why the party state matters.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-203) and index.

ISBN:

0268025851

OCLC:

63125872

Publisher Number:

9780268025854