Reseña
Political Parties and Public Policy in the German Lander considers the extent to which, and in what circumstances, political parties affect public policy. Exploring the regional level in Germany; using case studies in the areas of education, childcare and family, and labour market policy. When Parties Matter looks at the extent to which political parties can make a difference to public policy, focusing on the regional level in Germany. Politicians of the left and the right sometimes have radically different views, but inevitably the combined forces of legal and financial constraints, bureaucracy, public expectations and the 'weight of history' restrict their ability to translate political disagreement into policy change. Giving a detailed examination of education policy, childcare and family policy, and labour market policy in three German regions between 1999 and 2006, this book provides insights into what politicians can and cannot achieve, in particular at the level below the nation-state