Do Parties Still Represent?: An Analysis of the Representativeness of Political Parties in Western Democracies

Heidar, Knut

ISBN 10: 0367730413 / ISBN 13: 9780367730413

Published by Taylor & Francis, 2020

About this Item

200 pages. 9.21x6.14x0.55 inches. In Stock.

Seller Inventory # zk0367730413

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Do Parties Still Represent?: An Analysis of the Representativeness of Political Parties in Western Democracies
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0367730413
• ISBN 13: 9780367730413
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 0.37 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

This book examines the representativeness of party membership and analyses the potential consequences of changing representativeness.

Parties with high membership ratios, as well as those experiencing severe decline, are compared and examined across countries with varying constitutional arrangements and party systems. The book discusses whether changing representative capacities lead to declining political representation of (group) interests, less representative party candidate selection processes and declining legitimacy for the political system. The book bridges two subareas that are usually not in conversation with each other: literature on the decline of party membership and that on group representation (gender, ethnic minorities and other social groups).

This text will be of key interest to students and scholars of party politics, political parties, representation and elections, and more broadly to people interested in European and comparative politics.

About the Author

Knut Heidar is Professor of Political Science at the University of Oslo, Norway.

Bram Wauters is Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science of Ghent University, Belgium.