Niko Switek

Donatella Campus

Marco Valbruzzi

Political science research, especially in recent times, has recognized the centrality of party and executive leaders and their individual characteristics. The attention has been mostly directed towards individual leadership. However, one-chief leadership is not the only existing model of party governance, and some recent developments seem to have put forms of collective leadership into the spotlight. Two parties that have recently achieved remarkable electoral results, the Italian Five Star Movement and the German Alliance 90/The Greens, can be considered examples of alternative models of leadership. This book calls for a deep and systematic analysis of cases of parties in which powers and responsibilities appear to be shared among different individuals rather than being concentrated in the hands of just one leader. Drawing on the literature of organization and management theory, the book fills a gap in the literature of political science by developing a theoretical framework that may provide researchers with the tools for proceeding with the analysis of cases of party collective leadership. To illustrate their approach, the authors have selected three cases – the German Greens, Alternative for Germany, and the Five Star Movement in Italy – that show significant variation across types of collective leadership. The outcome of the empirical analysis contributes to a better knowledge of the nature and functioning of party leadership as well as raises questions that could be further addressed in future research.

Collective Leadership and Divided Power in West European Parties

La trasmissione di informazioni tra élite politiche, mass media e pubblico segue ormai le logiche di mercato di qualunque altro bene commerciale. La politica fa ampio ricorso a sondaggisti ed esperti, pronti a metterne in scena l’ormai permanente spettacolarizzazione. Più informato di un tempo, ma trasformato in target da sollecitare all’acquisto e bersagliato da informazioni troppo ‘specializzate’ e spesso parziali, quanto margine di reale partecipazione democratica resta al cittadino-consumatore di oggi?

Le nuove frontiere

Comunicazione politica

Gianfranco Pasquino

Martin Bull

This book continues the editors' work (started in the volume “Masters of Political Science”) of highlighting and re-evaluating the contributions of the most important political scientists who have gone before. Its basis is the belief that the future development and sophistication of the discipline will benefit from a critical understanding of the works of early political “giants” whose contributions are presented and analysed: Gabriel A. Almond, Raymond Aron, Philip Converse, Maurice Duverger, Stanley Hoffmann, Paul Lazarsfeld, Arend Lijphart, Elinor Ostrom, William H. Riker, Stein Rokkan and Susan Strange. The editors review and consider the contributions of these maestri to the study of contemporary democracy, political culture, electoral systems, political communication, the transformation of capitalism and state formation in Europe. Maestri of Political Science is aimed not only at a new generation of political scientists but is a valuable opportunity for established scholars to see new light through old windows. Also available: Masters of Political Science Volume 1, ISBN: 978-0-9558203-3-5

Donatella Campus

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