This study departs from traditional interpretations of cohabitation in French politics, which suggest French institutions are capable of coping when the President and Prime Minister originate from different political parties. Instead, it offers the opposite view that cohabitation leads to partisan conflict and inertia in the policy-making process.

'This original analysis provides new insights into the policy process under divided government, or cohabitation, in France. With a combination of institutional analysis, formal logic, and important newly collected empirical evidence, Lazardeux provides an important cautionary tale about the functioning of the core institutions of the Fifth Republic.'

Frank R. Baumgartner, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Autorentext
Sébastien Lazardeux is Assistant Professor of Political Science at St. John Fisher College, USA. He was previously Lecturer at the University of Washington and Post-Doctoral Researcher in Bordeaux, France. He has published in Governance, West European Politics, and French Politics. His work focuses on legislative institutions and radical right politics.

Inhalt

1. Cohabitation and Policymaking in Semi-Presidential Systems 2. Policymaking under Cohabitation 3. Institutional Dynamics and Policymaking Efficiency 4. Cohabitations and Policymaking Efficiency: An Empirical Test 5. Cohabitation and Prime Ministerial Policymaking Strategies 6. Conclusions