Research Catalog

Title

Governing abroad : coalition politics and foreign policy in Europe / Sibel Oktay.

Author

Oktay, Sibel

Publication

• Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2022.
• © 2022

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Michigan Publishing (University of Michigan), publisher.

Description

xvi, 237 pages : illustrations; 24 cm

Summary

From Austria to New Zealand, coalition governments often pave the road to foreign policy. In Western Europe, nearly 90 percent of postwar governments include two or more political parties. Israel, the Middle East's only consolidated democracy according to many, has never experienced single-party rule in its history. Even the United Kingdom, known for its long streak of single-party rule, now navigates multiparty cabinets. Coalitions are everywhere, but we still have little understanding of how they act in foreign affairs. History shows that coalitions can sometime engage in powerful international commitments such as participating in military operations, but at other times, they postpone their decisions, water down their policy positions, or promise to do less than they otherwise would. What explains these differences in behavior?Governing Abroad unpacks the little-known world of coalition governments to find out. Oktay argues that the specific constellation of parties in government explains why some coalitions can make more assertive foreign policy decisions than others. Building on the rich literatures in political science on coalitions, legislatures, and voting behavior, the book weaves together sophisticated statistical analyses of foreign policy events across thirty European countries alongside in-depth case studies from Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland. It brings political parties back into the study of foreign policy, demonstrating that the size of the coalition, the ideological proximity of the governing parties, and their relationship with the parliamentary opposition together influence the government's ability to act in the international arena. This book challenges our existing perceptions about the constraints and weaknesses of coalition governments. It sheds new light on the conditions that allow them to act decisively abroad.

Alternative Title

Coalition politics and foreign policy in Europe

Subject

• Since 1945
• Coalition governments > Europe
• Political parties > Europe
• Coalition governments
• Diplomatic relations
• Political parties
• Europe > Foreign relations > 1945-
• Europe

Genre/Form

Informational works.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-230) and index.

Contents

Why Study Coalition Governments in Foreign Policy? -- The Constraints and Opportunities of Coalition Foreign Policy: Moving beyond the Dichotomy -- From Parties to Coalitions: Explaining Foreign Policy Commitments in Post Cold War Europe -- Reaching across the Aisle: Danish Commitments during the 1990 and 2003 Wars in Iraq -- When Foreign Policy Spills Over: Dutch Support for the 2003 Iraq War -- Loyal to Whom? Finland's Decision to Join the Eurozone -- Governing Together, Abroad: Conclusions and Implication.

Call Number

JFE 23-502

ISBN

• 9780472075409
• 0472075403
• 9780472055401
• 0472055402

LCCN

2022005792

OCLC

1264388682

Author

Oktay, Sibel, author.

Title

Governing abroad : coalition politics and foreign policy in Europe / Sibel Oktay.

Publisher

Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2022.

Copyright Date

© 2022

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-230) and index.

Chronological Term

Since 1945

Added Author

Michigan Publishing (University of Michigan), publisher.

Other Form:

Online version: Oktay, Sibel. Governing abroad Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2022 9780472902859 (DLC) 2022005793

Research Call Number

JFE 23-502