The politics of regime structure reform in democracies : Israel in comparative and theoretical perspective / Gideon Rahat.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rahaṭ, Gidʻon.

Series:

SUNY series in Israeli studies.

SUNY series in Israeli studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democracy.

Israel--Politics and government.

Israel.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (356 p.)

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book examines the success or failure of initiatives aimed at reforming regime structures in democracies, particularly their electoral and government systems. Through a comparative analysis of the several attempts at this type of reform in Israel over more than four decades, Gideon Rahat begins with the failed attempts at electoral reform in the 1970s and 1980s. He then analyzes Israel's successful attempt at promoting government system reform from 1988 to 1992. Finally, he compares the Israeli cases to cases of electoral reform in New Zealand, Japan, and Italy in the 1990s. While the book focuses on the Israeli cases, it places Israel within a comparative framework and makes an important contribution to the debate concerning the politics behind regime structure reform.

Contents:

Introduction

Stability and reform of regime structures of established democracies

The politics of electoral reform in Israel

The electoral system, 1948-1969: a brief historical overview

The politics of electoral reform, 1969-1977: the failure to promote compromise

The politics of electoral reform, 1984-1990: from (Knesset) electoral reform to government system reform

The politics of government system reform in Israel, 1988-1992

Long-term developments, catalyzing events, and the reform initiative

The actors

The stages of the reform process and overcoming the barriers

Reform of regime structures of established democracies in historical and cross-national comparative perspectives

The Israeli case studies in a historical-comparative perspective

The politics of regime structure reform in established democracies: a cross-national comparative perspective

Conclusions

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 299-321) and indexes.

ISBN:

9780791478806

0791478807

9781435632141

1435632141

OCLC:

212061586