Multi-Level Party Politics in Western Europe

By: Klaus Detterbeck

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Synopsis: Multi-Level Party Politics in Western Europe is a study of territorial dynamics within party systems and party organizations in Western European multi-layered systems. It argues that processes of state restructuring and party crisis have forced parties to adapt their competitive strategies and internal structures. With the logic of territorial party competition becoming more complex, parties in Europe have developed quite different responses to deal with the challenges of multi-level politics. This book challenges the 'national bias' of party research which has traditionally focused on the statewide level by assuming broadly uniform patterns. Speaking to students of party politics and territorial studies, it contributes to a new territorial approach which acknowledges the importance of multi-layered institutional framing for party politics. Its also includes a thorough comparative analysis of vertical linkages and sub-state autonomy in Austrian, Belgian, British, German and Spanish parties.