‘Democracy theories and comparative political science have been challenged within the last decade by an unexpected democratic deficit and the rise of populism in the new EU-member states. This volume written by German and Czech scholars gives some food for thought for solving these research problems by means of thorough analyses of the polity, the politics and selected policies of the Czech Republic since 1990.’
Dieter Segert, retired Professor of Political Science (Area Studies on Eastern Europe), University of Vienna, Austria
‘Czech Democracy in Crisis is a long-overdue comprehensive study of the Czech political system. Using institutional approaches to change, it explores crucial policy outcomes. A perfect book for academics and practitioners who want to understand the challenges of democratic consolidation in a new democracy.’
Lenka Bustikova, Associate Professor of Political Science, Arizona State University, USA, and author of Extreme Reactions: Radical Right Mobilization in Eastern Europe
The image of the Czechs as a poster child of democratization has changed into a crisis narrative in recent years. This edited volume traces this change and examines the suitability of different theories to explain developments in Czech democracy. The contributors, all renowned experts in their fields, offer well-founded and compact insights into the post-1989 Czech political system. They cover political institutions and parties; civil society; the media; and selected policy areas such as foreign, economic, migration and regional policy. The book takes into account processes of democratization and Europeanization, explaining the political picture at various stages of development. Finding that many of today’s problems—fragmented political parties, government instability, inefficient state administration and low quality of governance—have not been new developments but have constantly existed, the authors present a plea for theoretical adjustments that should be read by all academics, students, practitioners and readers with an interest in Czech politics and society.
Table of Content
Chapter 1: The puzzling crisis of democratization in the Czech Republic. Towards more case knowledge and a broader perspective in comparative politics – Astrid Lorenz.- Chapter 2: Democracy, Policy-Making and Policy Performance in the Czech Republic in the Light of International Democracy and Governance Indices – Frank Bönker.- Chapter 3: Swerving towards deconsolidation? Democratic consolidation and civil society in the Czech Republic – Petra Guasti.- Chapter 4: Small and fragmented: civil society in the Czech Republic in the antagonism between liberal and state-centric ideas – Stephanie Weiss.- Chapter 5: Permanent campaigning and pitfalls of the proportional representation with fragile parties. Elections and party system in Czechia – Stanislav Balík and Vít Hloušek.- Chapter 6: Power structure in motion? Parliament, government and the president in the Czech Republic – Lukáš Novotný.- Chapter 7: Activist constitutional court as utility tool for correcting politics: structure, composition and case-law – Ivo Pospíšil.- Chapter 8: Advantages and problems of a liberal-democratic media model. Media and politics in the Czech Republic – Jan Jirák and Barbara Köpplová.- Chapter 9: Foreign, security and defence policy: Europeanized at the bottom, neglected at the top – Tomáš Weiss.- Chapter 10: Economic and social policy in the Czech Republic as a response to economic crises and growth – Antonín Slaný and Hana Lipovská.- Chapter 11: A product of Europeanization or of national handwriting? The formation and development of the Czech migration policy – Paula Beger.- Chapter 12: Czech regional policy. Trapped in the mode of centralization – Hana Formánková.
About the author
Astrid Lorenz is Jean Monnet Professor of Political Science at Leipzig University, Germany. Her research and teaching fields include comparative constitutional politics, comparative government as well as systemic change and European integration. She is the Academic Director of the international M.A. study programme “European Integration in East Central Europe”.
Hana Formánková is Research Associate at the Institute of Political Science at Leipzig University, Germany. Her research and teaching fields include Europeanization, comparative government as well as regionalization and EU regional policy. She previously was a member of the Czech Foreign Service.
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