Comparing the Country Contexts

Capano, G; Zito, AR; Toth, F; Rayner, J

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-07457-8_2

Comparing the Country Contexts

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Anthony Zito

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Abstract

© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. This chapter provides a comparative overview of the State and political dynamics in each of the six case countries. It has a twofold purpose. First, it introduces the basic institutional and political variables at work in each state, as well as the role of neoliberalism within the State and society. This information will provide an important contextual analysis for the case studies. However, this is not simply a background chapter: we take this opportunity to develop some comparative analytical points about the differences in State and party traditions, as well as about the degree that ideas have been adopted across national borders. The chapter first examines core institutional aspects of each state, specifically the key constitutional, intergovernmental aspects that structure multi-level governance activity within each state. After the institutional analysis, we explore the key characteristics in the evolution of the key parties operating within each country since the 1970s. We particularly focus on their ideological development and how it informs their general approach to problem-solving. The chapter ends by investigating important ideas that have a paradigmatic, transformational power that transcends political party and national borders, focusing on the role of neoliberalism.