Politics and Society in Western Europe is a comprehensive introduction for students of West European politics and of comparative politics. This new edition has been extensively revised and updated to meet with the new needs of undergraduate students as they come to terms with a changing social and political landscape in Europe.

This textbook provides a full analysis of the political systems of 18 Western European countries, their political parties, elections, and party systems, as well as the structures of government at local, regional, national and European Union levels.

Throughout the book, key theoretical ideas are accessibly introduced and examined against the very latest empirical data on civil society and the state.

• Cover 2
• Table of Contents 7
• Introduction: A Neo-Tocquevillean Approach 13
• 1 - The Market Economy 29
• Part I: Civil Society 29
• 2 - Cleavages 49
• 3 - Political Parties 88
• 4 - Parties and Voters 121
• 5 - Party Systems 146
• Part II: Government 165
• 6 - Decision-Making Institutions: Autonomy 165
• 7 - Decision-Making Systems: Influence 203
• 8 - European Integration 249
• 9 - Issues 276
• Part III: Outcomes 305