Political Parties and Political Systems: The Concept of Linkage Revisited

(Hardback)

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Since its release in 1980, Kay Lawson's Political Parties and Linkage: A Comparative Perspective has become a classic text in the field of political science. In her groundbreaking work Lawson approaches linkage from an angle left unexplored by her predecessors. Her thinking filled in the systematic and theoretical void by envisioning political parties as the link between citizens and policy makers. This collection of essays by leading political scientists reflects on Lawson's concept of linkage, its theory, and its application over the last quarter century. The work is divided into two sections, the first covers linkage's impact on party research and the second focuses on its application in general political science. The first looks at such topics as the evolution and intellectual development of Lawson's concept through social actors, policy responsiveness, and multi-layer politics. The second handles issues like globalization, the relation of state and society, the European Union and it's proposed constitutional reform, and the cross-cultural significance of linkage in such countries as India. The book concludes with an illuminating chapter by Lawson that responds to the featured themes and explains her current views on linkage and democracy.

Reviews

This book provides important introspection about a longstanding concept in political party research. Although unlikely to provide new nuggets of discovery unbeknown to the scholarly community, the work should be read by those with interests in the continuing evolution of state-society connections. Highly recommended. Graduate, research, and faculty collections. * Choice *
The nine papers presented by Rommele, Farrell, and Ignazi revisit Lawson's typology through discussions of the development of the theory and critical reactions to it, analysis of European and Indian political parties and linkage, and an essay by Lawson herself responding to the themes of earlier chapters and reflecting on the evolution of her views on linkage. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

Andrea Rmmele is a research fellow at the MZES, University of Mannheim. David M. Farrell is professor and head of politics (GIPP) at the University of Manchester. Piero Ignazi is professor of comparative politics at the University of Bologna.