The French Polity

by Safran, William

• ISBN13: 9780321077745
• ISBN10: 0321077741
• Edition: 6TH
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

Beautifully written and logically organized, The French Polity, Sixth Edition, provides vital insight into the changing and constant character of the intricate French political scene. Recent, sometimes dramatic, changes have taken place in French politics in the last several years. This book features comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of all aspects of contemporary French politics, policy, and society with a lucid institutional approach that focuses on the executive, political parties, parliament, the judiciary, and interest groups, as well as civil liberties, public policy, and administration.

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures	xi
Preface	xiii
Abbreviations and Acronyms	xv
France: The Historical and Constitutional Background	1	(22)
The Legacy of the Revolution	3	(4)
The Rise and Fall of the Fourth Republic	7	(2)
The Sources and Nature of the Fifth Republic Constitution	9	(5)
Constitutional Interpretation and Adaptation	14	(7)
Notes	21	(2)
The Economic and Social Context	23	(28)
Economic Development	23	(5)
Social Classes and Mobility	28	(4)
Religion and Culture	32	(6)
The Educational System	38	(3)
The Position of Women	41	(3)
Notes	44	(7)
Patterns and Perspectives of Political Culture	51	(22)
Approaches to French Political Culture	51	(8)
Civic and Uncivic Attitudes	51	(4)
Verbal and Practical Behavior	55	(4)
Conceptions of the State	59	(4)
National Identity	63	(3)
Notes	66	(7)
Political Parties and Elections	73	(74)
The Socialist Party	79	(1)
The Communists	80	(2)
The Origins and Evolution of Gaullism: From the RPR to the Union pour la Majorite	82	(1)
The Political ``Center'': From Classic Provincialism to the Union pour la Democratie Francaise	83	(5)
Radicalism	84	(1)
Catholicism	84	(1)
Centrist Coalition Games	84	(1)
The Elections of 1974 and the Emergence of Giscardo-Centrism	85	(3)
The Left in Power: 1981 and After	88	(3)
The Right and Center in Opposition	91	(1)
The Rise of the National Front	92	(1)
The Parliamentary Election of 1986: Introduction to Power Sharing	93	(1)
The Presidential and Parliamentary Elections of 1988	94	(2)
The Greens	96	(1)
The Parliamentary Elections of 1993	97	(6)
The Collapse of the Left	97	(3)
The Victory of the Right	100	(2)
The Marginalization of the Environmentalists and the Containment of the Extreme Right	102	(1)
The Presidential Elections of 1995	103	(2)
The Parliamentary Elections of 1997	105	(3)
The Elections of 2002	108	(8)
The Functional Relevance of Political Parties	116	(10)
Unnatural Alliances	116	(1)
Political Wanderings	117	(2)
The Place of Ideology	119	(3)
Voters' Choices, Programs, and Personalities	122	(4)
The Electoral System: Its Impact on Parties and Voting Behavior	126	(7)
Political Fringe Groups, Clubs, and Movements	133	(3)
Summary and Conclusion	136	(1)
Notes	137	(10)
Interest Groups	147	(30)
Trade Unions	147	(5)
Business Associations	152	(2)
Agriculture	154	(1)
Students and Teachers	155	(2)
Miscellaneous Interest Groups	157	(1)
The Access and Input of Interest Groups	157	(2)
Pluralist, Corporatist, and Other Models of Interest-Group Politics	159	(12)
Notes	171	(6)
Instruments and Patterns of Decision Making: The Executive	177	(44)
The Position of the President	177	(4)
The Premiers	181	(4)
Cohabitation I: Precedent-Setting Pattern or Political Parenthesis?	185	(2)
Cohabitation II: A ``Civilized'' Waiting Game	187	(1)
Cohabitation III: Co-Decision Making or a Neo-Parliamentary Regime?	188	(2)
The Government	190	(9)
The Construction and Reshuffling of Cabinets	199	(5)
The Executive and Parliament	204	(2)
Article 16	206	(2)
The President and Charisma	208	(5)
Summary	213	(1)
Notes	214	(7)
Instruments and Patterns of Decision Making: The Parliament	221	(38)
Parliament in the Fifth Republic	222	(2)
The Committee System	224	(7)
The Senate	231	(3)
Limits on Parliamentary Decision Making	234	(4)
The Constitutional Council	238	(3)
Questions and Censure Motions	241	(2)
The Incompatibility Rule	243	(2)
The Role of the Deputy	245	(8)
Notes	253	(6)
The Administrative System	259	(38)
Background, Structure, and Recruitment	259	(3)
The Political Complexion of Civil Servants	262	(4)
Controls over the Civil Service	266	(5)
Subnational Administration	271	(1)
The Commune	272	(2)
Administrative Reform and Decentralization	274	(3)
The Reforms of 1981-1983	277	(6)
Functional Decentralization	283	(1)
The Administration of Paris	284	(1)
Corsica and Overseas Territories	285	(2)
Bureaucracy, Technocracy, and Economic Administration	287	(2)
Notes	289	(8)
Law, Justice, and Civil Liberties	297	(22)
The Judicial System	297	(3)
Justice and the Democratic State	300	(5)
The Legal Protection of Aliens and Minorities	305	(1)
The Police	306	(2)
Freedom of Expression	308	(4)
Notes	312	(7)
Political Changes and Public Policies	319	(36)
Economic Policy from the Liberation to the Giscard Presidency	320	(1)
Capitalist Planning	320	(4)
Economic Policy Under the Mitterrand Presidency	324	(4)
The Politics of Austerity	324	(2)
The Chirac Cohabitation Government and the Politics of Neoliberalism	326	(1)
The Governments of Rocard, Cresson, and Beregovoy: Prospects and Growing Constraints	326	(1)
The Balladur Government: Redressement and Rigueur	327	(1)
Economic Policy Under the Chirac Presidency	328	(4)
The Juppe Plan	328	(2)
The Jospin Government: Squaring the Circle	330	(1)
Raffarin's Policies: Pressures and Prospects	331	(1)
Education, Research, and Culture	332	(3)
Aspects of Foreign Policy	335	(6)
France and Europe	341	(5)
Constitutional and Institutional Issues: Conclusions	346	(3)
Notes	349	(6)
Appendix: The French Constitution of 1958	355	(18)
Selected Bibliography	373	(8)
Index	381