Political Parties and Public Policy in the German Lnder: When Parties Matter [Hardcover]

Political Parties and Public Policy in the German L?nder ?considers the extent to which, and in what circumstances, political parties affect public policy.?Exploring the regional level in Germany; using case studies in the areas of education, childcare and family, and labour market policy.Introduction: Partisan influence upon Public Policy in Decentralised Polities Do Parties Matter in the German L?nder? Education, Family and Childcare, and Labour Market Policies at a Land level The Case of Hesse, 1999-2003 The Saarland, 1999-2004 Saxony Anhalt, 2002-2006 Conclusion Appendix 1: Bibliography Appendix 2: List of Interviews Appendix 3: Commonly Used German Terms and Abbreviations

'Ed Turner's excellent study is richly informative, theoretically stimulating and highly original. It examines the much-neglected issue of party competition at the regional level in Germany, and offers insights both for scholars of German politics and of comparative politics more generally. And it is an essential corrective to the excessively national-level focus of most contemporary studies of Europe's most powerful country. Packed with excellent detail from its case-studies, this is a must-read for anyone with a serious interest in the nature of political conflict and policy debate in contemporary Germany.'

- Lord Wood of Anfield, Fellow and Tutor in Politics, Magdalen College, Oxford, UK

'Turner's book breaks new ground in linking the debates on how federalism and partisan politics influence public policy. His thoroughly researched and powerfully argued analysis of the influence of parties on public policy in the German L?nder makes an important contribution to our understanding of German politics.'

- R. Daniel Kelemen, Jean Monnet Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University, USA

'This important book analyses public policy on the sub-national level and asks for partisan influence. In dló