Beschreibung:
This book explores the ways in which representative democracy works in two neighbouring collections of European states: the Nordic (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) and the Baltic (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). The central, guiding questions are: how does political representation work in countries that have a lot in common, but also a few significant contextual dissimilarities; and what, if any, relationships between the respective styles of democracy can be identified? Using a variety of theories, perspectives and methods, the empirical studies that populate the book seek to offer reflections on these questions.
Contents: A Nordic model of democracy? Political representation in Northern Europe, Nicholas Aylott; Between flawed and full democracy: twenty years of Baltic independence, Kjetil Duvold; The emergence of Conservative parties in the Baltic States: new parties, party entrepreneurs and transnational influence, Karl Magnus Johansson; Ever more inclusive? Candidate selection in North European democracies, Nicholas Aylott, JÄnis Ikstens and Emelie Lilliefeldt; The diffusion of party positions: policy positions moving from the Nordic to the Baltic States, Detlef Jahn; The Nordic model and Estonian political discourse, Kadri Simm and Kÿlliki Seppel; Conclusions: towards a new North European democracy?, Nicholas Aylott; Index.