The Organization of Political Parties in Southern Europe

(Hardback)

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A comprehensive analysis of the organization of the major political parties of France, Spain, Italy and Greece. Conceived and framed with a common theoretical approach, four national teams of researchers followed a structural approach to the study of party organization, and they have underlined the various characteristics of the parties. The party analyses are not limited, however, to the measures of party organization - number of members, local branches, elected officials, or to formal rules. Rather, the chapters highlight the power relationships among the various actors, leaders and factions.

Reviews

[T]he authors deserve praise for providing an up-to-date, detailed, and rigorous study of developments in southern European organizational party politics. Both students of political parties and those with a specific interest in the Mediterranean basin will find a wealth of information in Ignazi and Ysmal's edited volume. Even more, the editors' approach, focusing on how parties work, comes close to setting a new standard in the field of party organizational analyses.-Millennium
Given its emphasis on analytical description, this collection of essays should prove informative to students, scholars, and practitioners concerned with the history, organization, and strategic orientation of southern European political parties. Substantively, its focus on parties in France, Italy, Greece, and Spain adds to the knowledge of some of the lesser-studied European cases, especially the latter two. Organizationally, the volume follows the logical but typical formula of many successful edited volumes. An introductory chapter and an excellent comparative conclusion serve as bookends for the other chapters.-Choice
"The authors deserve praise for providing an up-to-date, detailed, and rigorous study of developments in southern European organizational party politics. Both students of political parties and those with a specific interest in the Mediterranean basin will find a wealth of information in Ignazi and Ysmal's edited volume. Even more, the editors' approach, focusing on how parties work, comes close to setting a new standard in the field of party organizational analyses."-Millennium
"[T]he authors deserve praise for providing an up-to-date, detailed, and rigorous study of developments in southern European organizational party politics. Both students of political parties and those with a specific interest in the Mediterranean basin will find a wealth of information in Ignazi and Ysmal's edited volume. Even more, the editors' approach, focusing on how parties work, comes close to setting a new standard in the field of party organizational analyses."-Millennium
"Given its emphasis on analytical description, this collection of essays should prove informative to students, scholars, and practitioners concerned with the history, organization, and strategic orientation of southern European political parties. Substantively, its focus on parties in France, Italy, Greece, and Spain adds to the knowledge of some of the lesser-studied European cases, especially the latter two. Organizationally, the volume follows the logical but typical formula of many successful edited volumes. An introductory chapter and an excellent comparative conclusion serve as bookends for the other chapters."-Choice

Author Bio

PIERO IGNAZI is Professor of Comparative Politics in the Department of Politics, Institutions, History, at the University of Bologna - COLETTE YSMAL, Director for Research, the National Foundation of Political Science in Paris.