Scandinavian Politics Today Third edition [Hardcover]

This completely revised and updated third edition of Scandinavian politics today provides a uniquely comparative, thematic and insightful treatment of politics and government in the five Nordic states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and the three Home Rule territories that together make up the Nordic region.

The approach is distinctive in being systematically thematic and comparative and the author draws on current themes in political science literature to produce a book with cosiderable 'added value' over the run-of-the-mill textbook treatment. There are six parts and thirteen chapters covering: Scandinavia past and present; parties in developmental perspective; the Scandinavian party system model; the Nordic model of government; the Nordic welfare model; legislative-executive relations in the region; the changing security environment and the transition from Cold War 'security threats' to the 'security challenges' of today; and a concluding chapter looks at regional co-operation, Nordic involvement in the 'European project' and the Nordic states as 'moral superpowers'.

The book will be of interest not only to students of Scandinavia but to those wishing to view Scandinavian politics and policy-making in a wider comparative perspective.
Introduction: The Nordic states: a suitable case for comparison?

Part I: The making of modern Scandinavia

1. Settlers and Empires

2. Nation-building and state-building, 1809-1944

Part II: The Scandinavian party system model

3. The emergence of the Scandinavian party system(s)

4. The historic strength of the five main types of party

5. 'Big bang' elections and party system change in Scandinavia: farewell to the 'enduring party system'?

Part III: A distinctive model of political representation?

6. Selecting candidates and electing members of parliament in the Nordic region: an analytical framework

7. The personal vote and personal-votlÓg