The Politics of Belgium PDF Download
Are you looking for read ebook online? Search for your book and save it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Download The Politics of Belgium PDF full book. Access full book title The Politics of Belgium by Marleen Brans. Download full books in PDF and EPUB format.
Author: Marleen Brans
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131799003X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Get Book Here
Book Description
For too long Belgium remained an unexplored terrain by comparative political scientists. Belgium's politics were best known through the writings of Arend Lijphart, who considered it a model case of consociationalism. Over the past ten to fifteen years, the analysis of consociationalism has been complemented by a more detailed coverage of Belgium's spectacular transformation process from a unitary into a federal state, moving rapidly now to disintegration. Likewise, several peculiar aspects of Belgian politics, such as the record fragmentation of its party system, have been covered in edited volumes or international journals. However, given the complexity of the Belgian configuration of political institutions and actors, any inclusion of particular aspects of the Belgian case in comparative work calls for an in depth and integrated understanding of the broader political system. This is the first book which provides such an analysis. It brings together a team of 19 political scientists and sociologists who aim to explain the dynamics and incentives of institutional change and seek to analyze the intricate interplay between the main institutional components of the Belgian body politic. The sociological, political and institutional determinants and the consequences of the "federalisation" process of Belgium is the central theme that links each of the individual chapters. This book will be essential reading for students who want to understand the politics of Belgium and for anyone with a strong interest in West European Politics, comparative politics and comparative federalism. This book was published as a special issue of West European Politics.
Author: Marleen Brans
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131799003X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Get Book Here
Book Description
For too long Belgium remained an unexplored terrain by comparative political scientists. Belgium's politics were best known through the writings of Arend Lijphart, who considered it a model case of consociationalism. Over the past ten to fifteen years, the analysis of consociationalism has been complemented by a more detailed coverage of Belgium's spectacular transformation process from a unitary into a federal state, moving rapidly now to disintegration. Likewise, several peculiar aspects of Belgian politics, such as the record fragmentation of its party system, have been covered in edited volumes or international journals. However, given the complexity of the Belgian configuration of political institutions and actors, any inclusion of particular aspects of the Belgian case in comparative work calls for an in depth and integrated understanding of the broader political system. This is the first book which provides such an analysis. It brings together a team of 19 political scientists and sociologists who aim to explain the dynamics and incentives of institutional change and seek to analyze the intricate interplay between the main institutional components of the Belgian body politic. The sociological, political and institutional determinants and the consequences of the "federalisation" process of Belgium is the central theme that links each of the individual chapters. This book will be essential reading for students who want to understand the politics of Belgium and for anyone with a strong interest in West European Politics, comparative politics and comparative federalism. This book was published as a special issue of West European Politics.
Author: Didier Caluwaerts
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000517292
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Get Book Here
Book Description
This book takes stock of Belgium’s exceptional and – for some foreign observers –schizophrenic position in the political world and explains its idiosyncrasy to a non-Belgian audience. Offering a broad and comprehensive analysis of Belgian politics, the guiding questions throughout each of the chapters of this book are: Is Belgium a political enigma, and why? Along which axes is Belgium "exceptional" compared to other countries? And what insights does a comparative study of Belgian politics have to offer? The book therefore provides a critical assessment of how Belgian politics "stands out" internationally, both in good and bad ways – including consociationalism, federalism, democratic innovations, Euroscepticism, government formation, gender equality, among others – and which factors can explain Belgium’s exceptional position. Based on cutting-edge research findings, the book will be of wide interest to scholars and students of Belgian politics, European Politics and Comparative politics. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
Author: Jan Erk
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134082576
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 183
Get Book Here
Book Description
This book deals with the theoretical and empirical questions of federalism in the context of five case studies: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany and Switzerland. The central argument is that in the long run the political institutions of federalism adapt to achieve congruence with the underlying social structure. This change could be in the centralist direction reflecting ethno-linguistic homogeneity, or in decentralist terms corresponding to ethno-linguistic heterogeneity. In this context, the volume: fills a gap in the comparative federalism literature by analyzing the patterns of change and continuity in five federal systems of the industrial west, this is done by an in-depth empirical examination of the case studies through a single framework of analysis illustrates the shortcomings of new-institutionalist approaches in explaining change, highlighting the usefulness of society-based approaches in studying change and continuity in comparative politics. Explaining Federalism will be of interest to students and scholars of federalism, comparative government, comparative institutional analysis and comparative public policy.
Author: Bea Cantillon
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789400001664
Category : Belgium
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Get Book Here
Book Description
Belgium is a federation in turmoil. Politicians of the two language communities find it increasingly difficult to reach common ground on many issues. Social policy stands in the middle of these tensions. At present, social federalism in Belgium is still at an immature stage. However, as a result of constitutional reform in the course of the last decennia, social policy has become embedded at the regional, the federal, as well as at the European level. Moreover, the more prosperous region of Flanders has expressed the wish to develop its own social protection and has introduced, among others, a Flemish Care Insurance. These developments have resulted in the creation of a "layered welfare state." The authors of this book critically assess the current stage of social federalism in Belgium and ask how, against the background of the major challenge of an ageing population, an effective social policy can be shaped. The book considers at which level the bulk of an effective social policy is best situated, what the role of the sub-national entities can be, and which limitations are imposed by the constitutional and European framework. The various forms of power allocation are considered for social federalism in Belgium. From the perspective of various scientific disciplines, and averse to any political dogma, this book pleads for a more nuanced thinking on social federalism in Belgium.
Author: Kas Deprez
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1349268682
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 291
Get Book Here
Book Description
This is a book about shifting national identities in Belgium. It is an attempt to show how these identities emerged and evolved. It aims at explaining why the Belgian identity, which in 1830 was so strong that it could create a new nation-state, has become so weak that today it has to accept a mere overarching role above and in competition with the new national loyalties. More and more people wonder whether this country will survive.
Author: Els Witte
Publisher: ASP / VUBPRESS / UPA
ISBN: 9054875178
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 517
Get Book Here
Book Description
The political history of Belgium is a fascinating story that should not be kept from speakers of English in Belgium and abroad. From an international point of view, Belgium has been a trendsetter in many ways. It was the first country on the European continent to experience a quick process of industrialisation, with the development of the first liberal state following closely behind. More than elsewhere, liberalism reigned supreme in the 19th century, and as a result the social question was raised with great vehemence. The World Wars put Belgium in the middle of the fighting twice over; especially after 1945, the country played a prominent international role, first in the foundation of the Atlantic alliance and the European construction, and later in the decolonisation of the Congo. In the meantime, Belgium has developed into one of the countries experiencing the full force of globalisation, and, thanks to Brussels, into one of the preeminent international political centres. Belgium is also a model of pacification democracy. Throughout many conflicts during the 19th and 20th centuries, an enduring compromise grew between Catholics and freethinkers, making Belgium one of the most pluralistic countries in Europe today. The fierce conflict between workers and employers, in its turn, led to a well-functioning model of a consultation and welfare state. Two cultures live together in Belgium. Up until the second half of the past century, the Flemish majority was at an economic, political and cultural disadvantage; during the process of catching up, coinciding with the demise of the Walloon economy, a complex federal model developed, in which cosmopolitan Brussels takes a very special position. This book aims to offer a historical perspective in interpreting the current tensions in Belgian politics based on scientific literature. Political History of Belgium is without doubt the outstanding authoritative reference work about the political history of a country at the centre of the development of Europe. As such, it offers essential background information for politicians, policy makers, civil servants, journalists, researchers, students and anyone with an interest in Belgium and Europe.
Author: Patricia Popelier
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000359220
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 303
Get Book Here
Book Description
This book offers a new theory of federalism. The work critically discusses traditional federal theories and builds on theories that focus on the dynamics of federalism. It offers a definition of federalism and federal organizations that encompasses both new and old types of multi-tiered system. Unlike traditional federal theory, it is well-suited to research both multinational and mononational systems. It also takes into account the complexity of these systems, with bodies of governance at the local, regional, national, and supranational level. The book is divided into three parts: the first part outlines the contours of dynamic federalism, based on a critical overview of traditional federal theory; the second part develops comprehensive indexes to measure autonomy and cohesion of multi-tiered systems; and the third part focuses on the dynamics of federal organizations, with a special focus on institutional hubs for change. Dynamic Federalism will be an essential resource for legal, social, economic, and political scholars interested in federalism, regionalism, and de/centralization.
Author: Nicholas Theodore Aroney
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
ISBN: 1487511485
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 598
Get Book Here
Book Description
Courts are key players in the dynamics of federal countries since their rulings have a direct impact on the ability of governments to centralize and decentralize power. Courts in Federal Countries examines the role high courts play in thirteen countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Nigeria, Spain, and the United States. The volume’s contributors analyse the centralizing or decentralizing forces at play following a court’s ruling on issues such as individual rights, economic affairs, social issues, and other matters. The thirteen substantive chapters have been written to facilitate comparability between the countries. Each chapter outlines a country’s federal system, explains the constitutional and institutional status of the court system, and discusses the high court’s jurisprudence in light of these features. Courts in Federal Countries offers insightful explanations of judicial behaviour in the world’s leading federations.
Author: Rupak Chattopadhyay
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 100051627X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 386
Get Book Here
Book Description
The COVID-19 pandemic bared the inadequacies in existing structures of public health and governance in most countries. This book provides a comparative analysis of policy approaches and planning adopted by federal governments across the globe to battle and adequately respond to the health emergency as well as the socio-economic fallouts of the pandemic. With twenty-four case studies from across the globe, the book critically analyzes responses to the public health crisis, its fiscal impact and management, as well as decision-making and collaboration between different levels of government of countries worldwide. It explores measures taken to contain the pandemic and to responsibly regulate and manage the health, socio-economic welfare, employment, and education of its people. The authors highlight the deficiencies in planning, tensions between state and local governments, politicization of the crisis, and the challenges of generating political consensus. They also examine effective approaches used to foster greater cooperation and learning for multi-level, polycentric innovation in pandemic governance. One of the first books on federalism and approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic, this volume is an indispensable reference for scholars and researchers of comparative federalism, comparative politics, development studies, political science, public policy and governance, health and wellbeing, and political sociology.
Author: Yonatan T. Fessha
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030887855
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Get Book Here
Book Description
This edited volume examines the form and operation of intergovernmental relations in divided societies. Using eight country case studies, it explores the interplay between politicised ethno-cultural diversity and intergovernmental relations (IGR) in countries where the distinctive identity of at least one subnational unit is acknowledged in a form of territorial autonomy. The book examines whether and how the distinctive identity of particular subnational units and the attending competing constitutional visions shape the dynamics of IGR. The goal here is not simply to determine whether intergovernmental interactions in such societies are less cordial and more conflictual than in other societies. Such interaction in any society could be strained as a result of disagreement over specific policy objectives. The question is whether the distinctive identity of particular subnational units and the attending competing constitutional visions themselves have been a primary source of intergovernmental tension. The book also examines the impact of identity politics on institutions and instruments of IGR, determining whether the ethno-cultural divide and the tension it creates have the tendency to affect the type of institutions and instruments employed in IGR. It is also about the relevance and effectiveness of institutions and instruments of IGR in acknowledging and accommodating the distinctive identities and specific demands of subnational units, thereby contributing to the peaceful management of divided societies.
