The Woodrow Wilson Center Press
Political Parties after Communism: Developments in East-Central Europe
After forty years of one-party rule under Communist regimes, how were the countries of East-Central Europe to get back to the business of competitive politics in 1989? One key factor was the resumption of party politics, and this book reviews the post-Communist development of parties in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary. Kostelecký describes party history up to 1947, and then covers the Communist and post-Communist periods. Historical, cultural, and social factors are all taken into account in this synthetic work.
The core of the work studies three crucial areas: historical and cultural factors, social cleavages, and electoral rules. In general, Kostelecký sees a move toward more organized political parties, greater rational choice and self-interest in voters' decisions, and better-instructed, stabler politics.
What People are Saying
"This is a timely review of almost ten years of study of electoral behavior in East Central Europe, providing, for the first time, an understanding of the general trends in party formation and support since the collapse of communism in the region. It is clearly written and well organized, accessible to scholars and students alike."--Paul Shoup, Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia
Chapter List
Introduction
1 An Overview of Party Development (1850–1989)
2 A New Day:Parties in the Post-Communist Period (1990–Present)
3 The Party System:A Product of a Country's History and Culture?
4 The Party System:A Reflection of Social Cleavages?
5 The Party System:A Product of the Rules of the Game?
6 Political Party Development in Post-Communist East-Central Europe:In Search of General Patterns
Notes
Works Cited
Index