Beschreibung:
Ever-changing election rules, a highly fluid party system, a constitution considered illegitimate by more than one major political actor, polarized political elites, and a system of corruption that has grown up together with the young democracy itself -these characterize contemporary Polish politics. At the same time Poland is frequently identified as the most successful example of a transition from communism to capitalism, having led this series of world-changing transitions. It has distanced itself from a turbulent history as pawn in Eastern Europe's international politics to become a leading candidate for membership in the exclusive European Union club. As Polish democratic politics evolves it is taking unexpected forms and producing equally unexpected results.
Introduction: Understanding a Functioning Democracy , Historic Discontinuities: Shaping Poland's Political Traditions , The Communist Era: The System and Its Crises , Regime Change and Democratization , The Political Players: Elites, Parties, and Other Actors in the Third Republic , The Played Upon: Society , Political and Economic Arenas: The Institutions of the Third Republic , Policy Challenges Shaping Poland's Future