Scandinavian Politics Today - 3rd Edition by David Arter (Paperback)

About the Book

A high-quality textbook which has earned a strong reputation and is cited by senior academics and undergraduates alike. It is essential reading for anyone who wishes to view Nordic politics and policy-making in a wider comparative perspective.

Book Synopsis

This completely revised and updated third edition of Scandinavian politics today follows the format of earlier editions by providing a uniquely comparative, thematic and insightful treatment of politics and government in the five nation-states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with the three Home Rule territories of Greenland, Faeroes and Åland that together make up the Nordic region or Norden.

Thirteen chapters cover Scandinavia past and present; parties in developmental perspective; the Scandinavian party system model; the Nordic model of government; the Nordic welfare model; legislative-executive relations in the region; the changing security environment and the transition from Cold War 'security threats' to the 'security challenges' of today; and a concluding chapter looks at regional co-operation, Nordic involvement in the 'European project' and the Nordic states as 'moral superpowers'.

This new edition will be of relevance to topical UK debates on the Nordic model, welfare system change, Scottish independence and the challenges facing small-state systems in a globalised world.

From the Back Cover

This completely revised and updated third edition of Scandinavian politics today provides a uniquely comparative, thematic and insightful treatment of politics and government in the five Nordic states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and the three Home Rule territories that together make up the Nordic region.

The approach is distinctive in being systematically thematic and comparative and the author draws on current themes in political science literature to produce a book with cosiderable 'added value' over the run-of-the-mill textbook treatment. There are six parts and thirteen chapters covering: Scandinavia past and present; parties in developmental perspective; the Scandinavian party system model; the Nordic model of government; the Nordic welfare model; legislative-executive relations in the region; the changing security environment and the transition from Cold War 'security threats' to the 'security challenges' of today; and a concluding chapter looks at regional co-operation, Nordic involvement in the 'European project' and the Nordic states as 'moral superpowers'.

The book will be of interest not only to students of Scandinavia but to those wishing to view Scandinavian politics and policy-making in a wider comparative perspective.

About the Author

David Arter is Emeritus Professor and Director of Research at the University of Tampere, Finland