Elections, Parties and Representation in Post-Communist Europe 1990-2002 stresses the ways in which the development of political parties affected the quality of democracy, the nature of political representation, and political accountability in the early stages of post-communist politics. It also analyzes the nature and consequences of the corpus of parliamentary candidates and deputies for the representation of social classes, women and minorities. In contrast with the wide social profile of communist parliaments, politics largely became the playground of new highly educated male elites.

Autorentext

FRANCES MILLARD is a Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Essex. Her recent books include Polish Politics and Society, The Anatomy of the New Poland, and Embodying Democracy: Electoral System Design in Post-Communist Europe (with Sarah Birch, Marina Popescu, and Kieran Williams). She has written widely on communist and post-communist political and social developments.

Zusammenfassung
This innovative comparative study stresses the ways in which the development of political parties had negative effects on the quality of democracy, the nature of political representation, and political accountability in the early stages of post-communist politics. Though most acute in the presidential systems of Russia and the Ukraine, new elites everywhere struggled to gain the confidence of their electorates. Frances Millard shows how the parties' failure to develop social roots created conditions for persistent electoral volatility which stimulated political entrepreneurs to leave their parties or establish new ones. Although voters rapidly learned from their experience with particular electoral systems, party fluidity undermined voters' capacity to engage in strategic voting. Voters' choices were often negative, taking advantage of the opportunity to dismiss incumbents, and frequently choosing new, untested elites in their search for representation. The social composition of parliaments narrowed, with a reduction in the numbers of both workers and women. Only the largest of the ethnic minorities demonstrated the capacity for political influence.

Inhalt

Preface List of Tables List of Party Acronyms Representation, Political Parties and the Quality of Democracy The Concept of Representation Political Parties and Their Evolution Voters and the Electoral Mechanism Voters and Electoral Outcomes Political Parties and Party Systems Standing for Office: Parties and their Candidates The Representation of Women The Political Representation of National Minorities Conclusion: Elections, Parties and Representation