The Oxford Handbook of French Politics

The Oxford Handbook of French Politics provides a comprehensive and comparative overview of the French political system through the lens of political science.

The Handbook is organized into three parts: the first part identifies foundational concepts for the French case, including chapters on republicanism and social welfare; the second part focuses on thematic large-scale processes, such identity, governance, and globalization; while the third part examines a wide range of issues relating to substantive politics and policy, among which are chapters on political representation, political culture, social movements, economic policy, gender policy, and defense and security policy.

The volume brings together established and emerging scholars and seeks to examine the French political system from a comparative perspective. The contributors provide a state-of-the-art review both of the comparative scholarly literature and the study of the French case, making The Oxford Handbook of French Politics an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the foundations of contemporary political life in France.

Robert Elgie is Paddy Moriarty Professor of Government and International Studies at Dublin City University. He has published numerous books, including The Study of Political Leadership: Foundations and Contending Accounts (Palgrave 2015), Semi-Presidentialism: Sub-types and Democratic Performance (Oxford University Press, 2011), and Political Institutions in Contemporary France (Oxford University Press, 2003). He has published in journals such as Comparative Political Studies, British Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, and Journal of Democracy. He is the Editor of the journal French Politics and the Review Editor for Government and Opposition.

Emiliano Grossman is an Associate Professor at Sciences Po in Paris, working at the Centre d'etudes europeennes. He teaches Comparative Politics and Public Policy and is the co-convenor of the Master of European Affairs at Sciences Po. He specializes in political institutions and agenda-setting processes. He is currently heading the French Agendas Project and is involved in several related research projects, ranging from the influence of media on policymaking to questions relating to partisan effects in policymaking. He has published widely on these issues, most recently in journals like Governance, Comparative Political Studies, and Journal of Legislative Studies.


Amy G. Mazur is the C.O. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Washington State University. She is also an Associate Researcher at the Centre d'Etudes Europeennes, Sciences Po, Paris. Her recent books include Politics, Gender, and Concepts (editor with Gary Goertz, Cambridge University Press 2008), The French Fifth Republic at Fifty: Beyond Stereoytpes (editor with Sylvain Brouard and Andrew Appleton, Palgrave, 2009), and The Politics of State Feminism: Innovation in Comparative Research (with Dorothy McBride, Temple University Press, 2010). Most recently she has published in Comparative European Politics, Revue Francaise de Science Politique, and Politics and Gender. She is currently co convening the Gender Equality Policy in Practice Project (GEPP) and is Associate Editor of French Politics.

1. A Framework for a Comparative Politics of France, Robert Elgie, Emiliano Grossman, and Amy G. Mazur
Part I. Conceptual Foundations
2. Republicanism: A Transatlantic Misunderstanding, Yves Meny
3. The State Imperative, Jack Hayward
4. The French Welfare System, Patrick Hassenteufel and Bruno Palier
Part II. Themes: Large-Scale Processes
5. Identity, Culture and Politics: The Other and the Self in France, Riva Kastoryano and Angeline Escafre-Dublet
6. The French Way to Multi-Level Governance: Governance with Government, Gilles Pinson
7. The Europeanization of Public Policy in France: Actor-Centred Approaches, Sabine Saurugger
8. Globalization: French Ambivalence as a Critical Case, Michel Goyer and Miguel Glatzer
Part III. Institutions
9. Executive Politics in France: From Leader to Laggard?, Robert Elgie and Emiliano Grossman
10. Legislative Politics: Going International, While Staying Native, Olivier Costa
11. Constitutional Politics: The French Case and Theory-Building, Sylvain Brouard
12. Challenges to French Public Administration: Mapping the Vitality of its Knowledge Sources, Philippe Bezes
13. Regional and Local Government: Interpreting Territorial Politics, Romain Pasquier
Part IV. Parties, Elections and Voters
14. Political Representation: Bringing Elections Back In, Nicolas Sauger
15. How to Study Political Culture Without Naming It, Nonna Mayer and Vincent Tiberj
16. Explaining French Elections: The Need to Meet in the Middle, Richard Nadeau and Michael S. Lewis-Beck
17. Parties and Party Systems: Making the French Socio-Cultural Approach Matter, Florence Haegel
18. Political Communication: From International Institutionalization to National Conquest of Scientific Legitimacy, Jacques Gerstle
Part V. Civil Society
19. Interest Groups: Moving Beyond State-Centric Models, Darren McCauley
20. The Study of Social Movements in France: The French Touch and a Comparative Contribution, Olivier Fillieule
21. Women's Movements and Feminism: French Political Sociology Meets a Comparative Feminist Approach, Laure Bereni
22. National Identity in France: A Blind Spot, Sophie Duchesne
Part VI. Public Policy and Policy-making
A. The Domestic Arena
23. French Economic Policy: Theory Development and the Three 'I's, Ben Clift
24. Environmental and Energy Policy in France: A Critical Case for Comparative Political Research?, Charlotte Halpern
25. Gender Policy Studies: Distinct, but Making the Comparative Connection, Amy G. Mazur and Anne Revillard
B. The International Arena
26. France and the Evolution of European Integration: The Exemplary and Pivotal Case for Broader Theories, Craig Parsons
27. Varieties Of Capitalism: A Distinct French Model?, Vivien A. Schmidt
28. Defense and Security Policy: Beyond French Exceptionalism, Bastien Irondelle, Jean Joana, and Frederic Merand
29. French Aid Through the Comparative Looking Glass: A Representative, Deviant, or Agenda-Setting Case?, Gordon D. Cumming
Conclusion
30. The State of Research on French Politics: Towards International Convergence?, Robert Elgie, Emiliano Grossman, and Amy G. Mazur