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THE GREENS have not only been a political force or social conscience for Germany before reunification and after, but an inspiration to political groups and movements in many other countries. The Greens have raised the issues of ecology, gender, and grassroots democracy in protest against government as usual. They have also had the rare opportunity to try the experiment of converting themselves into a political party that works within the system.This is a book about their paradoxical situation and about the dilemmas all advocates of change face when they become powerful enough to negotiate with the status quo. The critical essays by German social scientists and activists provide a detailed picture of the dynamics of the German Greens -- where their support has come from, the nature of the competing factions, and the place of feminism. Political posters and an entire section of carefully edited primary documents are also included in the book.These documents and critical essays, translated from the German, are accompanied by a substantial introduction written by the editors. The result is to make available to English-speaking readers a clear picture of a complex movement whose very name and color have become synonymous with social action in favor of the environment and the empowerment of people.
List of contents
Part I. Introduction 1. Success and Dilemmas of Green Party Politics Margit Mayer and John Ely Part II. Emergence and Characteristics of the West German Green Party 2. A Brief History of the German Green Party Horst Mewes 3. From Competing Factions within the Green Party to the Rise of Realos Roland Roth and Detlef Murphy 4. Who Votes Green? Sources and Trends of Green Support Lutz Mez Part III. In Parliament: Green Principles in Real Politics 5. What Happens to Green Principles in Electoral and Parliamentary Politics? Lilian Klotzsch, Klaus Konemann, Jorg Wischermann, and Bodo Zeuner 6. Green Feminism in Parliamentary Politics Claudia Pinl 7. The Phantasm of Grassroots Democracy Alex Demirovic Part IV. Positions in the Debate: How to Resolve the Paradox 8. From Youth to Maturity: The Challenge of Party Politics Claus Offe 9. A Party Is Not a Movement and Vice Versa Joachim Hirsch Part V. Beyond Germany 10. Green Politics in Europe and the United States John Ely Part VI. Documents 11. Founding Documents 12. Position Papers of the Main Factions within the Green Party 13. New Themes in Old Parliaments: Parliamentary Speeches and Party Statements 14. Programmatic Texts and Resolutions Selected Annotated Bibliography of English-Language Publications Selected Annotated Bibliography of German-Language Publications About the Contributors Index
Summary
The Greens have been not only a political force and social conscience for Germany but also an inspiration to political groups and movements in many countries. This book includes essays that provide a picture of the dynamics of the German Greens where their support has come from, the nature of the competing factions, and the place of feminism.
