Comparing Democracies

The benchmark first and second editions of Comparing Democracies represented essential guides to the global study of elections. Reflecting recent developments in the field, this timely third edition gives an indispensable state-of-the art review of the whole field from the world′s leading international scholars. With a completely new thematic introduction which explores how democracy is built and sustained, thoroughly updated chapters (many of which are also new) , the third edition provides a theoretical and comparative understanding of the major topics related to elections and introduces important work on key new areas. Comparing Democracies, third edition will remain a must-read for students and lecturers of elections and voting behaviour, comparative politics, parties, and democracy. Contents: Introduction: Building and Sustaining Democracy Lawrence LeDuc, Richard G. Niemi, and Pippa Norris PART I: ELECTORAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROCESSES Electoral Systems and Election Management Elisabeth Carter and David M. Farrell Political Parties and Party Systems Susan E. Scarrow Party and Campaign Finance Ingrid van Biezen Election Campaigns Christopher Wlezien Campaign Communications and Media Claes H. de Vreese PART II: PUBLIC OPINION AND VOTING Ideology, Partisanship and Democratic Development Russell J. Dalton Political Participation André Blais Elections and the Economy Timothy Hellwig Women and Elections Marian Sawer Conclusion The Consequences of Elections G. Bingham Powell

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Building and Sustaining Democracy - Lawrence LeDuc, Richard G. Niemi, and Pippa Norris PART ONE: ELECTORAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROCESSES Electoral Systems and Election Management - Elisabeth Carter and David M. Farrell Political Parties and Party Systems - Susan E. Scarrow Party and Campaign Finance - Ingrid van Biezen Election Campaigns - Christopher Wlezien Campaign Communications and Media - Claes H. de Vreese PART TWO: PUBLIC OPINION AND VOTING Ideology, Partisanship and Democratic Development - Russell J. Dalton Political Participation - André Blais Elections and the Economy - Timothy Hellwig Women and Elections - Marian Sawer Conclusion The Consequences of Elections - G. Bingham Powell Jr.

About the Author :
Richard G. Niemi is Don Alonzo Watson Professor of Political Science at the University of Rochester, where he has taught for forty-five years and has served as department chair, associate dean for graduate studies, and interim dean. He earned his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1967. Professor Niemi has been a Guggenheim fellow and a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Lund (Sweden) and at the University of Iowa. In 2007–2009 he was president of the American Political Science Association’s Section on State Politics and Policy. He is a foreign member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of numerous works on political socialization, civic education, voting behavior, and various aspects of state politics. He has an ongoing interest in the Native Americans of upstate New York and Wisconsin, from whom he can trace a portion of his ancestry. Pippa Norris is Director of the Democratic Governance group in the United Nations Development Programme in New York and the Maguire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Harvard University′s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Recent books include Sacred and Secular: Politics and Religion Worldwide (with Ronald Inglehart, 2004), Electoral Engineering: Voting Rules and Political Behavior (2004), and Driving Democratization: What Works (2006). Norris, who is a political scientist, has served as an expert consultant for many international bodies including the UN, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, International IDEA, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the UK Electoral Commission.

Review :
′Clearly written and combining rigorous theory with practical insights, Comparing Democracies is essential reading for anyone interested in the extent and depth of democratization in the early twenty-first century′ - Ian McAllister, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, The Australian National University ′The first two editions of Comparing Democracies were widely appreciated for giving us an excellent introduction to most of the key themes in the study of modern democracies. The editors must be applauded for once again providing state of the art reviews of key topics by leading scholars in an accessible style′ - Michael Marsh, Professor of Comparative Political Behaviour, Trinity College Dublin