Archive 2/2007

Abstract

The process of democratic transition and consolidation has established conditions for important Czech interest groups in which interest groups have begun to face the challenges of Europeanization. The article focuses on changes that trade unions have been undergoing during the Europeanization process in respect to their internal structure, interactions with other political actors both on the Czech and European levels, changes of advocated interests, strategies of action, etc... Appropriate attention is paid also to the reaction of Czech trade unions to new challenges driven by European integration. The authors conclude, using data from original long-term qualitative research, that Europeanization is a proper conceptual tool eligible for the analysis of Trade Union.

Key words

Trade Unions; the Czech Republic; Europeanization; Qualitative Research Outcomes

Abstract

The article discusses the definition and typology of anti-system parties. It is based on the classical definition by Giovanni Sartori, which is in my opinion not obsolete. On the contrary it is still very usable, but under the condition that we stay on the ground of party theory and party systems, and not transfer it to the field of democratic theory. The next part of the text focuses on Giovanni Capoccia’s attempt in 2002 to modify Sartori’s theory and create a new typology of anti-system parties is very interesting but not very progressive. It seems that Capoccia makes the same, or at least very similar, propositions as Sartori. I think we should call “anti-system” only those parties which conform to Sartori’s rigorous definition. The parties conforming to Sartori’s wide definition should not be named “anti-system” but rather “extreme”. So, we have two separate categories of opposition parties: 1) anti-system, and 2) extreme. The first one is ideological opposition against the political system. The second is simply extreme, radical opposition against the government, or at the most, against some part of the political system, but not against the system as a whole. The second main proposition of the article concerns the problem of a typology of anti-system parties. According to the view mentioned above and based on Capoccia’s typology, I have created a modified typology. It correlates two parameters, ideological and relational. The result is five types of parties: anti-system parties, extreme parties, irrelevant anti-system parties, camouflaged anti-system parties, and pro-system parties.

Key words

Anti-System Party; Anti-Systemness; Giovanni Sartori; Giovanni Capoccia

Abstract

The article attempts to interpret changes in the character of communication strategies applied in election competitions during the 20th century. The most important change seems to be shift from cleavage-based to issue-based communication in election campaigns. Such a shift can be interpreted as the result of modernization process (individualizing) and the growing rationality of both factions: voters tend to support specific political parties expecting certain benefits, whereas political parties tend to emphasize those issues which can satisfy voters` demand. Over time, particular issues can, on the basis of successfully executed policies, be “transferred” into the ownership of specific political parties. When the communicated issue is salient, the issue ownership can bring advantages in polling. This brings a new dimension to party competition: Now parties have to compete with other agenda setters for (issue) dominance in the public, media and political spheres.

Key words

issue ownerwship, issue salience, agenda setting, campaigning, political communication, rational choice theory.

Abstract

This article deals with the europeanization of the German parliament as a difficult process of finding a relationship between the German government (Bundesregierung), upper chamber (Bundesrat) and lower chamber (Bundestag) concerning EU-related affairs. One of the results of the recent process of europeanization is the loss of influence of parliaments in EU member countries. The decision-making process within the Council of the EU can hardly be followed by parliaments and parliamentary committees. This has led to adaptation processes within the polities of EU member countries. This article follows the development of EC and EU-related institutions and committees in both chambers of the German parliament, as well as agreements and changes to the German constitutions adopted in order to assure that the parliament would not lose its influence in EU-related affairs during the period from 1957 to 2006. The conclusion is that there were differences between both chambers of parliament in the way they tried to secure their interests. However, both chambers partly lost their influence although they changed their structures and negotiated new agreements trying to secure their positions.

Key words

europeanization, parliamentarism, Germany, Bundestag, Bundesrat, EU-Committee

Abstract

In the article, the author presents money as a category of analysis in political science, and briefly embeds research in this field in a broader disciplinary context (economics, sociology, financial geography). Emphasis is stressed on Helleiner’s book “The Making of National Money”. Helleiner deals with the emergence of territorial currencies in the long-term, and is considered to be the most important and influential author within the field of political science. In the first part, the article focuses on Helleiner‘s description of the structural-historical conditions forthe introduction of territorial currencies, as well as on the ideological motivations that led political elites to introduce territorial currencies. A comprehensive historical description of this process is put aside. At the end, the author critically evaluates Helleiner‘s contribution to this problem.

Key words

the alternative conceptualizations of money, Helleiner’s contribution to the formulation of problematic in the field of political sciences, territorial currencies, the historical and structural preconditions, the ideological motivations, critical appraisal

Abstract

Vít Dočkal, Petr Fiala, Petr Kaniok, Markéta Pitrová, eds. 2006. Česká politika v Evropské unii, evropský integrační proces a zájmy České republiky, Brno, Masarykova univerzita, Mezinárod- ní politologický ústav, 216 pages.

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Gerald A. Cohen. 2006. Iluze liberální spravedlnosti, Uspořádal a úvodní studii napsal Marek Hrubec. Praha, Filosofia, 182 pages.

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Alexandr Sergejevič Panarin. 2000. Iskušenije globalizmom (Pokušení Globalismu), Moskva, Russkij nacionaľnyj fond.

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Abstract

Marek Loužek. 2005. Max Weber. Život a dílo. Weberovské inspirace, Praha, Nakladatelství Karolinum, 753 stran.

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