Lauri Karvonen

With the weakening of the structural determinants of politics in Western democracies, it is commonly assumed that individual politicians and politicians as individuals have come to mean more for voter behaviour and party choice. Many observers argue that politics has become more personalised in the course of the last few decades. Although considerable research on the various aspects of personalisation has been carried out, no single study so far has approached the question from a broad comparative perspective. By examining four central dimensions of personalisation – institutions, candidates, party leaders and media – and by including data from most stable parliamentary democracies, this book attempts to fill part of that gap. The book demonstrates clearly that there is no linear trend towards more personalisation among the cases studied. From the point of view of the general personalisation thesis, the findings are mixed at best; in some important respects, they are negative. While the media tend to focus more on individual politicians, the idea that party leaders increasingly determine the party choice of voters finds little support in empirical evidence. Most researchers seem to agree that the position of the prime minister has become more dominant. A closer look at comparative evidence results in a more complex picture. There has been a certain tendency to develop the most party-centred electoral systems in a more candidate-centred direction. On the other hand, recent reforms have altered some of the most candidate-centred systems in the opposite direction. Individual candidates seem to mean more to voters in systems where preferential voting has been practiced for a long time. This change is by no means dramatic, nor does it seem to apply to other electoral systems. Karvonen shows that the personalisation thesis, while not completely erroneous, has been overstated not just by the media but in some of the research literature as well.

A Study of Parliamentary Democracies

The Personalisation of Politics

Per Selle

The position of women in Scandinavia has long been regarded as a model by their politically active sisters elsewhere. Early female suffrage, an extensive involvement by women in the economy and an active female participation in all walks of social and political life seem to set Scandinavia apart even in West European comparison. To what extent are these alleged trends really fundamental features of the Scandinavian societies? Can one speak of a linear trend towards an increasingly equal division of political power between men and women? Is the 'Gender Gap' narrowing down, or has there been a 'Backlash of the 1980’s' in Scandinavia as well? This volume seeks to provide a comprehensive answer to these questions. Its chapters address central fields of politics and social life, and they are based on extensive new primary research by well-known experts. It aspires to become an invaluable source for all those interested in gender studies as well as in politics and society in Northern Europe.

Closing the Gap

Women in Nordic Politics

Finland's modern, technologically advanced welfare state is, in fact, a fairly recent creation, because the social changes that led to it occurred in Finland much later than elsewhere in the West. Once underway, however, such changes took place with unprecedented speed. This book is the story of what happens to parties, governments and voters when the fundamental features that conditioned party formation and voter alignments undergo rapid change. It is this that makes the Finnish case interesting and, as far as possible, this book examines Finland in a comparative perspective. Karvonen's study is based on a wealth of new primary evidence. It demonstrates that Finland is indeed a special case in certain respects, especially when it comes to the attenuation of ideological rivalry and the recurrent waves of populist protest. "This is an outstanding analysis of the political and social history of Finland since it gained independence from Russia in 1917. Supported by ample empirical data, Lauri Karvonen explains the 'late-but-rapid-syndrome' and why Finland, as a former part of Sweden and of Russia, has been a special case in a comparative Nordic and European perspective." Stein Kuhnle, University of Bergen "There remains a great deal of interest in the Nordic or Scandinavian political 'model' these days, but this interest usually focuses on Sweden or, possibly, Norway and Denmark. The politics and policies of Finland, which in fact present a fascinating case for study, are too often left out. This is due in good part to the absence of an up-to-date, comprehensive analysis of Finland. Fortunately, with the arrival of Professor Karvonen's latest book, this is no longer the case. This excellent volume will be of great interest and use to both specialists and comparativists and, indeed, to interested citizens." Henry Milner, University of Montreal

Lauri Karvonen

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