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Compares electoral volatility in Greece, Italy, Portugal, & Spain to older democracies in order to establish cross-national & temporal variations. Data were obtained from the Giacomo Sani & Julian Santamaria's Four Nation Study (mid-1980s) & various electoral & public opinion surveys. A multivariate analysis of the social-structural anchors of party preferences includes two additional factors: the proximity of respondents to parties of the Left-Right continuum; & assessments of party leaders. Although religion & social class were found to be significant determinants of the vote, they are weakening in importance as the proximity of respondents to parties on the Left-Right scale are increasing. Likewise, party leaders play a significant role in votes cast for catch-all parties but the impact on the quality of democracy is unclear. It is argued that differing patterns among the four party systems are due to complex interactions among social-structural factors; partisan traditions; elite electoral mobilization strategies; & various external factors. The collapse & reconfiguration of the Italian party system in the 1990s is examined to support this evaluation of the "anchors of partisanship.". 20 Tables. J. Lindroth

A concluding chapter notes that the polarization & instability once characteristic of Portugal, Spain, & Greece have been replaced by stable, democratic two-party political systems, & Italy's former "polarized pluralism" has evolved into a very different democratic system in spite of continuing party fragmentation. Politics in Southern Europe have become very similar to that found in older democracies of Western Europe; however, it is contended that the mixed patterns evident in the new consolidated democracies cannot be explained by a simplistic socioeconomic determinist model. Rather, macrolevel cultural, economic, & social-structural factors have had a significant impact, & the nature/timing of change was neither unilinear nor attached to shifts in the social structure. The multiple factors that brought about political transformation in Spain, Portugal, & Greece are examined, along with the nature of the radical & abrupt transformation of the Italian party system. The relationship between democratization & parties, & between socioeconomic modernization & parties, is discussed. All four southern European democracies are said to be developing in line with their own internal dynamics. J. Lindroth

An introductory chapter notes that this volume takes up where The Politics of Democratic Consolidation: Southern Europe in Comparative Perspective (Gunther, Diamandouros, & Puhle Hans-Jurgen) left off by looking at how democratic consolidation has affected politics in Greece, Italy, Portugal, & Spain. Special attention is given to the characteristics of key governmental institutions; the organization, dynamics, & strategies of political parties; the nature of electoral politics; & the interrelationship between parties & the social structure. The contributors also consider theoretical issues related to democratic consolidation, including the concept of "leapfrogging" development; the relationship between socioeconomic development & democracy; & the impact on the processes of consolidation of historical legacies as well as the different trajectories followed by each country. Three working hypotheses are: (1) socioeconomic development & democratic consolidation are intimately linked & mutually reinforcing; (2) democratic persistence is capable of accommodating change; & (3) the combined result of democratic consolidation & socioeconomic development in southern Europe resembles many features associated with western European democracies. The book's framework is described & a brief synopsis of each chapter is included. J. Lindroth

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1989. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived