Coalition governance in Western Europe (1999- 2020)

CESPOL

Promoteurs : Lieven De Winter, Patrick Dumont (National Australian University)
Chercheurs : Lieven De Winter, Patrick Dumont (National Australian University) 
Financement : Party Government in Europe Database (Johan Hellström), Umeå University 

This research project is funded as an infrastructure project, which means that it is funded for the purpose of building a new and improved dataset on coalition politics. On the basis of this data collection work will follow a joint publication. The OUP volumes on Coalition Government in Western Europe (Müller & Strøm 2000) and Cabinets and Coalition Bargaining (Strøm, Müller & Bergman 2008) are a result of such research efforts. The first stage of the project is the compilation of country reports on the changes in the party system and the major lines/issues of conflict in party politics since about the year 2000 as well as any significant changes in the main institutions that have a direct impact on coalition politics (discussed in the dec 2016 workshop), following the model and data collection rules by the country chapters in the OUP volume on Coalition Governments in Western Europe (Müller & Strøm 2000) and Delegation and Accountability in Parliamentary Democracies Strøm. Müller & Bergman, eds. 2003). As the focus on this new project in on “coalition governance” variables”, key witnesses will be interviewed in every country (Prime Ministers, vice-PMs, ministers, party leaders and parliamentary party leaders). This interviews will transcribed in full in the original lanquage, and a summary in english will be provided. The interview manual is based on ten pages of questions and coding instructions. The qualitative information gathered from these interview should then be transposed into the codings of the variables of the “coalition governance” tables. Once the data being fully prepared for country chapters, an update of the Coalition Governments in Western Europe will be written, and also specific volume on Coalition Governance, most likely again with OUP