Publisher's Synopsis
This is a clear, lucid introduction to the institutional regimes of fifteen countries in western Europe written by an outstanding group of European political scientists. New to the revised second edition:
* comprehensive coverage of the political institutions of 15 European countries, including Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Low Countries and the Nordic Countries
* each chapter explores political parties, elections and electoral rules, parliaments and national, regional and local governments
* a brand new chapter looking at the effect of the European Union
* chapters written by leading figures in the field
* annotated guides to further reading.
The book should be an essential introduction for students of both comparative and European politics.
