Scandinavian politics today

This fully revised and updated second edition of Scandinavian politics today describes, analyses and compares the contemporary politics and international relations of the five nation-states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and the three Home Rule territories of Greenland, Faeroes and Åland that together make up the Nordic region. 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'. 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.

Autorentext
David Arter holds the First Chair of Politics at the University of Aberdeen

Inhalt
List of tablesList of abbreviationsPrefacePart I: Scandinavia past and present1. The eight wings of the swan2. Nation-building and state-building, 18091944Part II: Parties in development perspective3. The emergence of the Scandinavisn party system(s)4. The historic strengths of the five main types of partyPart III: Parties, voters and social change: w(h)ither the Scandinavian party system model?5. 'Earthquake elections' of 1970-73 and the Emergence of New Party Types6. Party system change since 1970Part IV: The Nordic model7. A Nordic model of government?8. The Nordic welfare modelPart V: Legislativeexecutive relations in the Nordic region9. The Nordic Parliaments: An Alternative Model?10. 'Fairly Strong Standing Committees' and 'Influential Party Groups' a Distinctively Nordic Mix?11. Nordic Government(s): Parliamentary, Presidential or Prime Ministerial?Part VI: The strategic security environment12. The Changing Security Environment of the Nordic Region: From Cold War 'Security Threats' to the 'Security Challenges' of Today13. 'Reluctant Nordics', 'Reluctant Europeans', but 'Moral Superpowers'?Index