Böcker av Marco Lisi

This book examines the characteristics and evolution of interest groups in Portugal. Drawing from a wide array of sources - including surveys, parliamentary activities, media coverage and interviews with MPs and lobbyists ¿ it systematically assesses interest group politics. The book analyses the main features of group population, the strategies utilised by organised interests, their interactions with key decision-makers, and citizens¿ opinions regarding their role in the political system. The original data provided in this book frames the Portuguese case in a broader European context, and will be extremely useful for international comparisons. It will appeal to scholars and students of European politics, interest groups, democratic theories, and public policy.

This book offers a critical overview on the literature on party change and provides original data on several dimensions of party organizations, focusing in particular on Portuguese political parties. The Portuguese case study will be used to illustrate how political parties evolve and the main differences in the trajectory experienced by parties in old democracies. Therefore, starting from the main theoretical contributions used to study party change, this book examines some key dimensions of the role played by political parties: ideological and programmatic orientations, the social basis of support, party organization, electoral campaigns and the elections of party leaders. Through a wide and rich data collection and the comparative perspective adopted, this book furthers our understanding of how Portuguese political parties have changed and the impact of this change on the quality of democracy.