The Politics of Party Policy: From Members to Legislators [Paperback]

Examining the complexities and tensions in relations between party members and parliamentarians through an in-depth analysis of the processes that shape the development of party policy in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, this book Presents new evidence on the challenges facing parties in encouraging citizen participation in policy development.List of Tables List of Figures List of Appendices List of Abbreviations and Acronyms Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. Linking Participation and Representation: Intra-Party Policy Development 3. The Rhetoric and Reality of Policy Development 4. Arenas for Policy Development 5. Do Members Participate in Policy Development? 6. Opening up the Party and Creating Supporters' Networks 7. Do Party Elites Control the Policy Agenda? 8. Transferring Policy to the Parliament: The Roles of Elected Representatives 9. Attitudes to Representation 10. Parliamentary Decision-making and the Implementation of Policy 11. Conclusion: Policy-Making in Parties Today Appendix: Policy Process Diagrams References

This is an important book for all those concerned with issues of party democracy. Rich in primary research and detailed case studies, Gauja problematizes the issue of policy making by political parties and highlights both its practical and normative complexities. The separate analyses of the organizational and parliamentary parties, followed by consideration of how the two connect, makes for a clear and convincing analysis of the challenges parties face in this regard. Examination of both small and large parties and those in and out of government as well as those operating in unitary and federal states allows for a comprehensive analysis of many of the issues influencing the relative ability of party activists to meaningfully participate in party policy making.

William Cross, Hon. Dick and Ruth Bell Chair for the Study of Canadian Parliamentary Democracy, Department of Political Science, Carleton University, Ottawa,lãÙ