Multi-Level Party Politics in Western Europe - (Comparative Territorial Politics) by K Detterbeck (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A study of territorial dynamics within party organizations in multi-layered systems. This book contributes to a new approach in party research which acknowledges the importance of multi-layered institutional framing. It includes an analysis of vertical linkages and sub-state autonomy in Austrian, Belgian, British, German and Spanish parties.

Review Quotes

'Detterbeck's book is a very impressive contribution to knowledge in a field of growing importance in political science: territorial (or regional) politics within the state. Detterbeck directly challenges the 'nationalisation bias' in conventional scholarship, which is especially strong in the study of political parties. He shows across an impressive range of European cases that party competition is 'multi-levelled', with distinctive, 'asymmetric' logics at statewide and sub-state scales; and that parties need to organise themselves in new, territorially differentiated ways to grapple effectively with those distinctive logics. The book provides a sustained challenge to the 'nationalisation bias' which is outstanding conceptually, methodologically, empirically and analytically.'

- Charlie Jeffery, Professor of Politics, University of Edinburgh, UK

About the Author

KLAUS DETTERBECK Senior Lecturer at the University of Magdeburg, Germany. He works primarily on political parties, territorial politics and European integration. Among his current activities is the coordination of a Global Dialogue project for the Forum of Federations on parties and civil society in federations.