Comparative Politics
Comparative Politics is a series for researchers, teachers, and students of political science that deals with contemporary government and politics. Global in scope, books in the series are characterized by a stress on comparative analysis and strong methodological rigour. The series is published in association with the European Consortium for Political Research. For more information visit http://www.ecprnet.eu
The series is edited by Susan Scarrow, John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Political Science, University of Houston, and Jonathan Slapin, Professor of Political Institutions and European Politics, University of Zurich.
other titles in this series
Beyond Turnout
How Compulsory Voting Shapes Citizens and Political Parties
Shane P. Singh
Party System Closure
Party Alliances, Government Alternatives, and Democracy in Europe
Fernando Casal Brtoa Zsolt Enyedi
The New Party Challenge
Changing Cycles of Party Birth and Death in Central Europe and Beyond
Tim HaughtonKevin Deegan-Krause
Multi-Level Democracy
Integration and Independence Among Party Systems, Parties, and Voters in Seven Federal Systems
Lori Thorlakson
Citizen Support for Democratic and Autocratic Regimes
Marlene Mauk
Democratic Stability in an Age of Crisis
Agnes Cornell Jrgen Mller Svend-Erik Skaaning
Coalition Governance in Central Eastern Europe
Edited by Torbjrn Bergman Gabriella Ilonszki Wolfgang C. Mller
The Reshaping of West European Party Politics
Agenda-Setting and Party Competition in Comparative Perspective
Christoffer Green-Pedersen
Parliaments in Time
The Evolution of Legislative Democracy in Western Europe, 18662015
Michael Ko
Inequality After the Transition
Political Parties, Party Systems, and Social Policy in Southern and Postcommunist Europe
Ekrem Karako
Democracy and the Cartelization of Political Parties
Richard S. Katz Peter Mair
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Preface and Acknowledgement
This volume presents our joint research on the coalition life cycle in Western Europe. We place particular emphasis on the under-researched coalition governance aspect of that cycle. The work emanates from a project for which Johan Hellstrm is the principal investigator: PAGEDParty Government in Europe Database (sponsored by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Dnr IN15-0306:1). We also gratefully acknowledge the support of Wolfgang C. Mller at the University of Vienna who hosted our first workshop. Hanna Bck at Lund University hosted a second one. In both cases, the long and strenuous hours during which we jointly discussed indicators and definitions were balanced by pleasant company and gracious hosts.
In this research, we have relied on our structured collaboration approach. We presented our contributors with a set of suggested variables and indicators but together we also discussed and scrutinized these variables so that they were defined in a dialogue between the editors and the contributors. This facilitated a common understanding and common use of important variables. From that point of departure, our contributors analysed coalition politics in their country, building not least on sources in their native language, discussions with informed colleagues, and interviews. We believe that the combination of systematic data collection and the skills of authors who know their cases well is a productive one. We include cabinets formed up to and including January 2019.
At Ume University, Jonas Lindahl provided skilled research assistance throughout the project. We are also grateful for the cooperation with the Comparative Politics series editors and the support of the team at Oxford University Press.
We believe in transparency and in sharing data. One result of our efforts will be an open access data set, with codebooks and documentation, published online at the European Representative Democracy Data Archive (www.erdda.org).
This volume is a product of colleagues working together. It made the work fun!
Torbjrn Bergman Hanna Bck Johan Hellstrm
Contents
Coalition Governance in Western Europe
Torbjrn Bergman , Hanna Bck , and Johan Hellstrm
The Three Stages of the Coalition Life Cycle
Torbjrn Bergman , Hanna Bck , and Johan Hellstrm
Austria: Phasing-Out Grand Coalition Government
Wolfgang C. Mller
Belgium: From Highly Constrained and Complex Bargaining Settings to Paralysis?
Lieven De Winter and Patrick Dumont
Denmark: How to Form and Govern Minority Coalitions
Flemming J. Christiansen
Finland: Forming and Managing Ideologically Heterogeneous Oversized Coalitions
Tapio Raunio
France: Electoral Necessity and Presidential Leadership Beyond Parties
Isabelle Guinaudeau and Simon Persico
Germany: From Stable Coalition Camps to New Complexity
Marc Debus , Holger Dring , and Alejandro Ecker
Greece: From Coalitions as a State of Exception to the New Normal?
Myrto Tsakatika
Iceland: Political Change and Coalition Politics
Indridi H. Indridason and Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson
Ireland: Coalition Politics in a Fragmenting Party System
Paul Mitchell
Italy: Continuous Change and Continuity in Change
Francesco Zucchini and Andrea Pedrazzani
The Netherlands: Old Solutions to New Problems