Scandinavian politics today. 2nd ed.

Abstract:
This fully revised and updated second edition of 'Scandinavian politics today' describes, analyses and compares the contemporary politics and international relations of the five nation-states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and the three Home Rule territories of Greenland, Faeroes and Aland that together make up the Nordic region.

The approach is distinctive in being systematically thematic and comparative and the author draws on the current themes in political science literature to produce a book with considerable 'added value' over the run-of-the-mill textbook treatment.

There are six parts and thirteen chapters covering Scandinavia past and present; parties in developmental perspective; the Scandinavian party system model; the Nordic model of government; the Nordic welfare model; legislative-executive relations in the region; the changing security environment and the transition from Cold War 'security threats' to the 'security challenges' of today; and a concluding chapter looks at regional co-operation, Nordic involvement in the 'European project' and the Nordic states as 'moral superpowers'.

The book is aimed at students of Scandinavia, and also those wishing to view Scandinavian politics and policy-making in a wider comparative perspective.

David Arter holds the First Chair of Politics at the University of Aberdeen.

Contents:
Part I: Scandinavia past and present
1. The eight wings of the swan
2. Nation-building and state-building, 1809–1944

Part II: Parties in development perspective
3. The emergence of the Scandinavisn party system(s)
4. The historic strengths of the five main types of party

Part III: Parties, voters and social change: w(h)ither the Scandinavian party system model?
5. ‘Earthquake elections’ of 1970-73 and the Emergence of New Party Types
6. Party system change since 1970

Part IV: The Nordic model
7. A Nordic model of government?
8. The Nordic welfare model

Part V: Legislative–executive relations in the Nordic region
9. The Nordic Parliaments: An Alternative Model?
10. ‘Fairly Strong Standing Committees’ and ‘Influential Party Groups’ – a Distinctively Nordic Mix?
11. Nordic Government(s): Parliamentary, Presidential or Prime Ministerial?

Part VI: The strategic security environment
12. The Changing Security Environment of the Nordic Region: From Cold War ‘Security Threats’ to the ‘Security Challenges’ of Today
13. ‘Reluctant Nordics’, ‘Reluctant Europeans’, but ‘Moral Superpowers’?