Comparative Political Finance in the 1980s

This book concerns the financing of politics, political parties, candidates and elections in eleven countries.

Herbert E. Alexander (Edited by), Joel Federman (With)

9780521364645, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 August 1989

288 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2 cm, 0.597 kg

This book concerns the financing of politics, political parties, candidates and elections in eleven countries. It contains case studies of individual countries, various country-by-country comparisons, and a conceptual framework enabling the reader to understand the context of financial sources and implications of funding sources. All the chapters demonstrate the problems common to democracies seeking to regulate uses and abuses of money in politics in pluralistic societies in which there are numerous openings for political disbursements; many present themes emphasizing forms of public funding (alternatively called state aid in some countries) in which governments assist parties or candidates to subsist and compete. Professor Alexander has assembled a distinguished international team of contributors to present this first major appraisal of such a vital aspect of democratic practice for nearly twenty years.

1. Money and politics: rethinking a conceptual framework Herbert E. Alexander
2. Trends in British political funding, 1979–84 Michael Pinto-Duschinsky
3. Canadian election expense legislation, 1963–85: a critical appraisal or was the effort worth it? Khayyamzev Paltiel
4. Public funding of elections in Australia Ernest A. Chaples
5. American presidential elections since public funding, 1976–84 Herbert E. Alexander
6. Party financing in Israel: experience and experimentation, 1968–85 Jonathan Mendilow
7. Public financing of parties in Italy Gian Franco Ciaurro
8. Financing of Spanish political parties Pilar Del Castillo
9. The "modesty" of Dutch party finance Ruud Koole
10. The new German system of party funding: the Presidential committee report of 1983 and its realization Hans-Peter Schneider
11. Structure and impact of public subsidies to political parties in Europe: the examples of Austria, Italy, Sweden and West Germany Karl-Heinz Nassmacher.

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB]