Professional politicians have increasingly come under public attack in democratic countries, yet they have received little attention in political science. This text shows that there are both similarities between professional politicians in different countries and notable national peculiarities.
This is the first comprehensive overview of professional politicians in democratic countries in Europe and North America. On a country by country basis it provides up-to-date information on when and how politicians became professionals in their own right, on the kind of institution they operate in, on typical career paths, incomes, and recent reform proposals.
Professional politicians have increasingly come under public attack in most democratic countries. Yet they have received surprisingly little systematic attention in political science. This book demonstrates that there are both striking similarities between professional politicians in different countries and notable national peculiarities. The introduction develops a common conceptual framework for the chapters to follow. Using Mosca's term and Weber's seminal insights itreconstructs the concept of political class to grasp the degree of common interests shared by politicians of different partie
Oxford University Press
xiii, 425
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