From the Publisher
“The diffusion of semi-presidential regimes with the so-called ‘third wave of democratization’ made them an important type of democratic (and competitive authoritarian) political system in the contemporary world. This excellent comparative study of Portugal and East Timor offers a major contribution to the complex role of semi-presidentialism in the quality of modern democracies.” (António Costa Pinto, Institute of Social Science, University of Lisbon, Portugal)
“This valuable contribution to the literature on semi-presidentialism advances the interpretation that elected presidents in semi-presidential regimes can also constitute a ‘moderating power’. With a carefully thought-out theoretical framework that not only builds on the literature on semi-presidentialism but also draws on classical political philosophy, and empirically sustained on a thorough and often first-hand account of the operation of semi-presidentialism in Portugal and Timor Leste, Rui Graça Feijó expands our understanding of the forms that semi-presidentialism can take in practice. This book will be of great interest to students of semi-presidentialism – not only those interested in the specific cases of Portugal and Timor-Leste, but anyone who seeks to better understand the operation of semi-presidential regimes.” (Carlos Jalali, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Aveiro, Portugal)
“Presidents in Semi-Presidential Regimes is an outstanding work of great analytical clarity. Written in an engaging and economical style, Rui Graça Feijó’s comparative exploration of presidential power shines new light on the historical evolution of these two political systems, and is essential to understanding recent political developments in both countries. Deserving of a wider audience beyond the scholarly communities of Portugal and Timor-Leste, it offers compelling insight into the semi-presidential system of government, and the distinctive and evolving role of directly-elected presidents within them.” (Michael Leach, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia)