Political Parties after Communism: Developments in East-Central Europe

by Tomas Kostelecky

Overview

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 postcommunist development of political parties in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary. Tomáš Kostelecký describes party history up to 1947—some earlier parties were resurrected in 1989—and then covers the communist and postcommunist periods. Historical, cultural, and social factors in party development are all taken into account in this synthetic work.

The core of the work studies three crucial factors: 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 structured, stabler politics. In other words, East-Central European politics is transforming itself from simply a reaction against the politics of the preceding regime to a situation in which diverse groups in society will find their interests institutionalized in diverse political parties, not unlike the politics of Western Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801868511
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	04/30/2002
Series:	Woodrow Wilson Center Press Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Tomáš Kostelecký is senior researcher and scientific secretary, Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences. He was recently a JSPS fellow at the Slavic Research Center, Sapporo, Japan. He was a Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 1996-1997.

Table of Contents

Contents:



List of Tables and Figures

Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations for Post-Communist Political Parties, by Country



Introduction

1 An Overview of Party Development (1850-1989)

2 A New Day: Parties in the Post-Communist Period (1990 to the 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

What People are Saying About This

Paul Shoup

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.

Editorial Reviews

One of the great attractions of the book is that it... seeks to move beyond a traditional area studies approach.

Comparative European Politics - John Ishiyama

A very good review of general party developments in these four 'Visegrád states' and provides a solid basis for future inquiry into party development.

Nationalities Papers - John T. Ishiyama

Highly recommended.

Choice

A trim, lucid, first cut at the evolution of party systems in postcommunist Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia... a very clear, informative and thoughtful comparison.

Foreign Affairs

A thoughtful overview of the development of party politics and party systems.

— Anna Grzymala-Busse

Slavic Review

The great merit of Kostelecký's book is the author's ability to bring together both the established classics such as Lipset and Rokkan, and much of the burgeoning literature on party systems in post-communist Europe (particularly the works written in the languages of the region) under one roof.

— Tim Haughton

Europe-Asia Studies

One of the great attractions of the book is that it... seeks to move beyond a traditional area studies approach.

— John Ishiyama

Comparative European Politics

A very good review of general party developments in these four 'Visegrád states' and provides a solid basis for future inquiry into party development.

— John T. Ishiyama

Nationalities Papers

A thoughtful overview of the development of party politics and party systems.

Slavic Review - Anna Grzymala-Busse

The great merit of Kostelecký's book is the author's ability to bring together both the established classics such as Lipset and Rokkan, and much of the burgeoning literature on party systems in post-communist Europe (particularly the works written in the languages of the region) under one roof.

Europe-Asia Studies - Tim Haughton