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The first book on the interaction of parties and voters throughout the legislative period in multiparty democracies. Combining behavioral and institutional analysis of parliamentary systems, Fortunato explains how coalition governance shapes voters' perceptions of the policymaking process and how this, in turn, shapes parties' incentives.
List of contents
1. A lesson learned too late; 2. Motivation and promise; 3. Parties and voters under coalition governance; 4. Perceptions of coalition compromise; 5. Costs of coalition compromise; 6. Collective responsibility and differentiation; 7. What could go wrong?; 8. Does it ever go right?; 9. Pushing forward.
About the author
David Fortunato is Associate Professor in the School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego. His research has been published in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, and Journal of Politics, among others.
Summary
The first book on the interaction of parties and voters throughout the legislative period in multiparty democracies. Combining behavioral and institutional analysis of parliamentary systems, Fortunato explains how coalition governance shapes voters' perceptions of the policymaking process and how this, in turn, shapes parties' incentives.
Additional text
'Even in countries where such bargaining is essential for policy responsiveness, voters are suspicious of party compromises and doubt their chosen parties will represent them well in coalition governments. To reassure their supporters and sustain their brand, parties in coalitions attack and amend their partners' policy proposals. Fortunato offers an appealing model of a dynamic cycle of compromise and differentiation. He enhances its credibility with field experiments, panel voter surveys, and comparative analyses of party legislative behavior. The disastrous experience of the British Liberal Democrats offers a compelling illustration of failure to push such confrontation adequately. A consistent message, sophisticated analyses and many challenging insights make this an immensely valuable book.' G. Bingham Powell, University of Rochester
