| Synopsis: |
This major text has been thoroughly revised and updated for the second edition. It sheds new light on the changing roles of the state in Europe and the European Union.After introducing conceptions of the state, bureaucracy, interest groups, patronage and political currents within Europe, Michael Keating focuses on the five major European democracies - the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. In each case, state and government as well as parties and elections, policymaking and territorial policies are investigated. Key new issues affecting the whole of Europe are discussed including:* the effects of and prospects for European Integration and the single currency* the end of the Cold War and its effect both on the boundaries of Europe and the internal politics of the countries of western Europe* the debate centred on the retreat or strengthening of the state; the market versus politics in the age of globalization* the consequences of increasing multiculturalism on the political order in nation statesClear, concise and thought-provoking, The Politics of Modern Europe provides an excellent resource for students of European studies and the politics of Europe. |