1st Edition

The Statecraft of Consensus Democracies in a Turbulent World A Comparative Study of Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland

By José Magone Copyright 2017
    364 Pages 28 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    364 Pages 28 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Drawing on the work of Arend Lijphart, this book focuses on consensus democracies. These democracies entail a complex set of democratic institutional and conventional arrangements and can be regarded as a product of path-dependent development towards a national culture of compromise and bargaining.

    Taking a multi-dimensional and multi-spatial approach, this book examines the West central European consensus democracies of Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Switzerland, over the past 40 years. Magone examines how these democracies have been transformed by Europeanization thrusts and global turbulence yet are able to maintain political stability. It provides historical context including the different phases of transformation: the golden period (1945-1979); disorganised capitalism (1979-1993); and re-equilibration (1993-). It includes chapters on political culture, government, parliament, the rise of populism and political parties, subnational government, and the political economy and concludes deliberating on the relevance of consensus democracies’ experiences for the future of European and global governance.

    Based on original research, this book will be of strong interest to students and scholars of comparative politics, European government, West European politics, the politics of small states in Europe, and those with a particular interest in the politics of Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

    1. The Statecraft of Consensus Democracies

    Introduction: Political Change in Consensus Democracies

    Conceptualizing Consensus Democracies

    Strategic Management in Consensus Democracies: A Permanent Process of Re-equilibration

    The Great Transformation of the Late Twentieth Century and Consensus Democracies

    From International to Global Politics and Governance

    Europeanization of National Politics: From Government to Multilevel Governance

    Politics: Political Change, Insecurity and the Rise of Populism

    National Political Economy: Adjusting to Globalization

    Society: De-nationalization and Social Investment

    Structure of the Book

    Conclusions: The Consensus Democracies of West Central Europe

    2. The Creation and Development of Consensus Democracies

    The Three Main Spaces of West Central Europe Until the Early Nineteenth Century

    Rise and Decline of the Habsburg Empire (1273-1866)

    Between Autonomy and Centralization: The Origins of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (1300-1848)

    The Difficult Road to Internal Statehood: The Case of Switzerland (1291-1848)

    The Making of Consensus Democracies (1815-1945): The Nationalization of Politics

    The Nationalization of Politics in Austria: The Difficult Mentality Change from Empire to Small State

    Switzerland: From Civil War to a Virtuous Evolution towards Inclusive Democracy

    The Netherlands: Evolutionary Democracy in a Centralized State

    Belgium: From a Model Constitution to a Consensual Democracy

    Luxembourg: Reinventing its Identity through Democratisation

    The Glorious Thirty: Consensus Democracies in National Capitalism

    Austria: Consensus Politics as a New Found Political Culture of National Unity

    Switzerland: The ‘Magic Formula’ and the Continuity of Consensus Politics

    The Netherlands: Consensus Democracy and the Scientification of Policy Making

    Belgium: Consensus and Conflict in a Divided Country

    Luxembourg: The Creation of a National Model

    A Turbulent World Since 1980: Re-equilibrating Consensus Democracies

    Austria: The Politics of Memory and European Integration

    Switzerland: Consensus and Populism in Turbulent Times

    The Netherlands: Reviving the Polder Model

    Belgium: From Unitary to a Federal State

    Luxembourg: Consensus as a Way of Life

    Conclusions: Crafting Consensus Democracies in Turbulent Times

    3.Constitutional Change in Consensus Democracies

    Introduction

    Longevity of Constitutions and Change in Consensus Democracies

    Sketching the Political Institutional Framework of Consensus Democracies

    The Head of State and The Government

    The Structure and Procedures of Parliament

    The Constitutional and Administrative Court System

    Conclusions: Constitutions and Political Practice

    4. Society and Civic Culture Introduction: The Complexity of Consensus Democracies

    From Welfare State to the Social Investment State: Recommodifying Labour

    The Civic Culture: Attitudes towards Politics, Democracy and the Political System

    From Pillarised to a New Strong Civil Society

    Conclusions: Strong Civil Societies as Fundament of Consensus Democracies

    5. The Americanization of Electoral and Party Politics

    Introduction: The Rise of Populism in Americanized Electoral Markets

    From Pillarization to Americanization

    The Political Families in the Twentieth First Century

    The Socialist Family

    The Communist Family

    The Christian Democratic Family

    The Liberal Family

    The Greens

    Other parties

    Contextual Variables of the Party System

    The Electoral System: The Importance of Proportional Representation

    Party Funding System in Consensus Democracies

    Party System Change in Consensus Democracies

    Party System Change and Decline of the Established Parties

    The Rise of Total Volatility in Consensus Democracies

    The Fragmentation of the Party System

    Conclusions: The Americanization of Party Systems in Consensus Democracies

    6. Patterns of Government in Consensus Democracies

    Introduction

    Comparing Government Structure

    The Cabinet: Collegiality and Ministerial Autonomy

    The Prime Minister: Primus inter pares

    Patterns of Government Formation

    Cabinet Governance: Internal and External Coordination

    Government Longevity

    Conclusions: The Art of Sharing Power

    7. The Institutional Performance of Parliaments in Consensus Democracies

    Introduction: Parliaments in Consensus Democracies

    Contextualisation of Parliamentarianism

    The Structure of Parliaments: The Lower House

    The Upper Chamber: A Chamber of Reflection

    The Institutional Performance of Parliaments

    Parliamentary Workload

    Parliamentary Committee Work in Consensus Democracies

    Conflict and Consensus in the Legislative Process

    Controlling Instruments

    European Integration and National Parliaments

    Conclusions: Parliament as Centre of Consensus Democracies

    8. The Regional and Local Patterns of Consensus Democracies

    Introduction: The Deepening of Consensus Democracies

    Patterns of Subnational Democracy in Unitary States: The Netherlands and Luxembourg

    Patterns of Subnational Democracy in Federal Systems: Austria, Switzerland and Belgium

    Conclusions: Subnational Government in an Age of Europeanization and Globalization

    9. The Changing Political Economy of Consensus Democracies

    Introduction

    Varieties of Coordinated Capitalism in the Context of Europeanization and Globalization

    Industrial Relations as Coordination: From Interventionist to Light Neo-Corporatism

    Switzerland: Changing Schweiz AG

    The Netherlands: Continuity and Flexibility in the Polder Model

    Belgium: A Multilevel Neo-Corporatism

    Luxembourg; Cooperation and Coordination in the Luxembourg Social Model Austria: The Re-Invention of Social Corporatism

    Conclusions: Coordination and Flexibility in a European Setting

    10.Consensus Democracies as a Model for European and Global Governance

    The Statecraft of Consensus Democracies in West Central Europe

    The Primacy of Political Stability: Coalition Government and Parliamentary Majority

    Changing Architecture of Politics: From Welfare to Competition State

    The Hybridization of Coordinated Market Economies and the welfare State

    Big Democracy and Small Democracy: The Importance of Civil Society

    The Necessity of European Union Governance

    Consensus Democracies as Co-Founders and Rule Makers of the EC/EU

    Consensus Democracies as Model for other Small States

    Controlling Turbulence through Global Governance

    The Role of European Union in Promoting pax democratica

    Changing Global Capitalism: Expanding the European Social Model

    Conclusions: Consensus Democracies as a Way of Life

    Biography

    José M. Magone is Professor of Regional and Global Governance at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, Germany.