Political Reform in Israel: The Quest for Stable and Effective Government - Hardcover

Brichta, Avraham

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1902210735 ISBN 13: 9781902210735

Publisher: Liverpool University Press, 2001

Synopsis

ì[An] instructive but challenging volume... Brichta points out that no Israeli government can reach the level of stability and effectiveness sought by Israelis so long as Israeli society remains politically fragmented.î Israel Affairs. ìAvraham Brichtaís Political Reform in Israel is a masterly study of the craft and art of politics. More than that, it is a model of true political sociology, which stays away from the temptation to reduce politics to the study of social origins of leaders and followers. Instead, it concentrates on the interplay of social and political cleavages with electoral system, in the best tradition of the classic works by Sartori and Lijphart. The book is an important, instructive and highly readable analysis of political science. In addition to the major contributions it makes to the debate on political reform among scholars and members of the general public. It also demonstrates qualities that are sorely lacking in that kind of debate: insight, caution and political wisdom.î From the Foreword by Gabriel Ben-Dor, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center of National Security Studies, Israel. This book analyzes and tests the many reforms proposed and implemented in the electoral nominations, party, parliamentary and local government systems in Israel, and their impact upon the stability, effectiveness, responsiveness and representativeness of the Israeli political system.

About this title

About the Author:

Avraham Brichta

Review:

“[An] instructive but challenging volume ... Brichta points out that no Israeli government can reach the level of stability and effectiveness sought by Israelis so long as Israeli society remains politically fragmented.”  —Israel Affairs

“Avraham Brichta is one of those scholars and an expert on the theories and practices of the Israeli Government. He is Chairman of the Department of Political Science at the University of Haifa, has published widely in his field, and has taught at several prestigious universities in the United States and Europe. His new book on Israel’s struggle to create a more perfect form of government brings to our attention the many different roads that Israel’s government could have taken at various times, and compares them to what in fact happened. The resulting volume constitutes a very successful attempt to show us the impact of political reform, and the projected impact of proposed reform, on the functioning of Israel’s political system.”  —Israel Studies Forum

“Avraham Brichta’s Political Reform in Israel is a masterly study of the craft and art of politics. More than that, it is a model of true political sociology, which stays away from the temptation to reduce politics to the study of social origins of leaders and followers. Instead, it concentrates on the interplay of social and political cleavages with electoral system, in the best tradition of the classic works by Sartori and Lijphart. The book is an important, instructive and highly readable analysis of political science. In addition to the major contributions it makes to the debate on political reform among scholars and members of the general public. It also demonstrates qualities that are sorely lacking in that kind of debate: insight, caution and political wisdom.”  —From the Foreword, Gabriel Ben-Dor, Center of National Security Studies, Israel

About this edition

• Publisher: Liverpool University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1902210735
• ISBN 13: 9781902210735
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 146