Government and Politics in Hungary

Annotation "Based on unprecedented access to information, Government and Politics in Hungary provides not only a historical overview but also an analysis of the main political actors, constitution, electoral system, parliament and political parties of Hungary." "This timely and detailed analysis contains a wealth of important data which serves two major objectives. The first is to survey the most important institutions of the political and governmental systems and the cultural and behavioural characteristics of Hungarian politics. The second, is to provide the reader with a clear understanding of the two-way relationship between cultural-behavioural and constitutional-institutional levels of politics in Hungary." "The book challenges many stereotypes of post-communist political literature and reveals why Hungarian politics does not fit into many of the generalisations and 'pigeon holes' of contemporary political science."--BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Intro -- Table of Contents -- List of Tables -- List of Figures -- Abbreviations -- Preface and Acknowledgements -- Introduction: Political Traditions -- Chapter One: Political Culture -- 1. The Historical Legacy -- The Legacy of Communism -- Subjective Competence, Political Cynicism -- The Legacy of the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries -- 2. The Dimensions of Political Culture -- Regime Support -- Trust in Individual Institutions and Judgements on the Performance of Government -- Political Participation -- 3. Political Culture and Democratic Stability -- Chapter Two: The Parties -- 1. The Extent of Party Penetration in Hungary -- 2. The Functions of the Parties -- 3 . The Three Political Camps -- 4. The Origins and Establishment of the New Parties -- 5. The Character of the Parties -- The Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) -- The Hungarian Party of Justice and Life (MIEP) -- The Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) -- The Federation of Young Democrats-Hungarian Civic Party (Fidesz-MPP) -- The Independent Smallholders' Party (FKGP) -- The Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) -- The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) -- Chapter Three: The Party System -- 1. Left and Right in Hungarian Politics -- 2. The Structure of the Party Spectrum: The Political-Cultural and Economic Axes -- 3. The Ideological and Political Agenda -- Chapter Four: Political Cleavages -- 1. Cleavages -- 2. The Three Cleavages of Hungarian Politics -- The Religious/Secular Cleavage -- The Political Class Cleavage -- The Urban/Rural Cleavage -- The Absent Cleavage: The Economic Class Division -- 3. Cleavages and the Party System -- Chapter Five: Political Elites -- 1. Nomenklatura and Transition -- 2. Political Elite Groups -- 3 . The Political Class: Deputies in the Pre- and Post-Transition Parliaments.