The Rise and Fall of the People's Parties: A History of Democracy in Western Europe since 1918

The book "The Rise and Fall of the People's Parties" explores the history of center-left and center-right people's parties in modern Europe, tracing their rise to prominence in the early 20th century and their decline since the mid-1970s. It argues that the crisis of these parties contributes to the crisis of democracy in the region, highlighting their failure to adapt to changing societal norms and their focus on governmental efficiency rather than representing the interests of their members and voters.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 10 August 2023
Publisher: OUP OXFORD

Across Europe, people are deeply concerned about the state of democracy. The Rise and Fall of the People's Parties shifts the attention away from ever-changing populist politicians that capture newspaper headlines to the center-left and center-right people's parties that used to buttress the democratic order over the past decades, but which are now in steep decline. Why does the crisis of these parties contribute so profoundly to today's crisis of democracy? And why were these parties so important for the stabilization and legitimation of democracy in the past century in the first place? By providing a long-term and transnational account of the history of democracy in modern Europe, The Rise and Fall of the People's Parties reveals the striking parallels between the history of democracy and the history of the people's parties since 1918. The first part of the book shows how the failure to turn traditional working-class and confessional mass parties into people's parties played a vital role in the collapse of democracy in the 1920s and 1930s. It also explores the attractiveness of the people's party ideal centered on moderation, compromise, and openness to pioneering politicians in the mid-century. The second part of the book then traces the practical application and breakthrough of this ideal in the decades after World War II and shows how this contributed to the stabilization and legitimation of democracy in the postwar decades. In the final part of the book, Corduwener turns to the slow decline of the people's parties since the mid-1970s. It explores how the decline of social democracy, the rise decades of economic stagn� growth, and the rise of new political movements have all contributed to the decline of the people's parties. It also examines the challenges that these parties face in the future, including the rise of populism, the rise of nationalism, and the decline of trust in traditional political institutions.

Across Europe, people are deeply concerned about the state of democracy. The Rise and Fall of the People's Parties shifts the attention away from ever-changing populist politicians that capture newspaper headlines to the center-left and center-right people's parties that used to buttress the democratic order over the past decades, but which are now in steep decline. Why does the crisis of these parties contribute so profoundly to today's crisis of democracy? And why were these parties so important for the stabilization and legitimation of democracy in the past century in the first place? By providing a long-term and transnational account of the history of democracy in modern Europe, The Rise and Fall of the People's Parties reveals the striking parallels between the history of democracy and the history of the people's parties since 1918. The first part of the book shows how the failure to turn traditional working-class and confessional mass parties into people's parties played a vital role in the collapse of democracy in the 1920s and 1930s. It also explores the attractiveness of the people's party ideal centered on moderation, compromise, and openness to pioneering politicians in the mid-century. The second part of the book then traces the practical application and breakthrough of this ideal in the decades after World War II and shows how this contributed to the stabilization and legitimation of democracy in the postwar decades. In the final part of the book, Corduwener turns to the slow decline of the people's parties since the mid-1970s. It explores how the decline of social democracy, the decades of economic growth, and the rise of new political movements have all contributed to the decline of the people's parties. It also examines the challenges that these parties face in the future, including the rise

Weight: 564g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192843418