The Political Class in Advanced Democracies. A Comparative Handbook.

. Ed(s): Borchert, Jens; Zeiss, Jurgen

ISBN 10: 0199260362 / ISBN 13: 9780199260362

Published by Oxford University Press, 2004

About this Item

Professional politicians have increasingly come under public attack in democratic countries. Yet they have received little attention in political science. This text shows that there are both similarities between professional politicians in different countries and notable national peculiarities. Editor(s): Borchert, Jens; Zeiss, Jurgen. Num Pages: 440 pages, numerous tables & figures. BIC Classification: 3JM; JPA; JPHL; JPHV. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 237 x 164 x 41. Weight in Grams: 780. . 2003. Hardback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780199260362

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Political Class in Advanced Democracies. A Comparative Handbook.
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199260362
• ISBN 13: 9780199260362
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Professional politicians have increasingly come under public attack in most democratic countries. Yet they have received surprisingly little systematic attention in political science. This book demonstrates that there are both striking similarities between professional politicians in different countries and notable national peculiarities.

The introduction develops a common conceptual framework for the chapters to follow. Using Mosca's term and Weber's seminal insights it reconstructs the concept of political class to grasp the degree of common interests shared by politicians of different parties and in different institutions. Thereby, it presents an innovative perspective on politicians. The twenty country chapters written by scholars from sixteen countries both provide up-to-date information on professional politics in their countries and discuss the merits of the theoretical approach. In doing so, they follow a common format thus facilitating a comparative reading of particular aspects. Each chapter looks at the historical process of professionalization, the institutional context of professional politics, the size of the political class in each country, typical career paths, the renumeration of politicians, and recent reform debates.

About the Author

Jens Borchert is a Senior Researcher in Politics, University of Goettingen, Germany. Jürgen Zeiss is a Researcher in Politics, University of Goettingen, Germany.