European Politics: A Comparative Introduction

Description

This popular and highly praised text provides a lively and accessible introduction to the governance and politics of Europe. Thematically structured to address the key institutions and issues, it is genuinely pan-European in scope. Although no country is ignored, a range of representative countries (the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK) as well as the European Union itself, are used as key examples throughout the book and each of them is the subject of an in-depth double-page country profiles. The text is supported by a range of features, including: - Double-page country profiles with coverage of key issues - Debate boxes which give the pros and cons of contested issues - Key Point boxes to reinforce learning and aid revision - Further Reading, Web Links and Discussion Questions for each chapter The third edition has been fully revised and updated to take account of the latest developments and now includes coverage of the Eurozone crisis, governments' austerity measures and recent legislation affecting privacy and human rights.

Tim Bale is Professor of Politics at Queen Mary, University of London, UK. He has published widely on European and British politics.

Praise for previous edition: "As with most good textbooks, it is based on years of teaching the subject and understanding what students want. Though written at a level comprehensible to undergraduate students, it manages to convey the sense of key concepts such as Europeanisation and multi-level governance, and theoretical frameworks such as rational choice...lucid in its analysis and extensive in its coverage it addresses key issues of comparative politics...combining clear thematic focus with national examples is a strength. Few comparative politics textbooks manage to do so, and Bale's book is likely to become a leading text in comparative European politics for years to come. " - Professor Alistair Cole, The Times Higher Education Supplement "This is not only the book I would like to use, it is also the book I would like to have written. It is certainly one that I will recommend to students as an introduction. Hats off to Bale for undertaking such an ambitious task." - Dr Erik Jones, Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Bologna Center, Johns Hopkins University, Italy "Engaging and thought-provoking, and covering institutions and processes at both national and EU levels, this is an excellent comparative and continent-wide introduction to politics in the new Europe." - Professor John McCormick, Department of Political Science, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA