The book explains the electoral fortunes of Social Democratic parties, the influence of the party system dynamics and co-operation between parties in government. It examines the ideological tensions within Social Democratic parties between socialists and reformists and its ramifications for pursuing a ‘better and kinder’ world. This study also discusses the recent state of affairs and its mission in the 21st century. The book features a comparative analysis of 21 cases from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the United States.
It will be of key interest to students and scholars of public policy, comparative politics, party politics and democracy studies.
Hans Keman is Professor Emeritus of Comparative Political Science at the VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is a former editor of the European Journal of Political Research and of Acta Politica.