Power Shift in Germany

Germany's landmark 1998 election saw, for the first time, in the Republic's fifty-year history an incumbent Chancellor and his entire government replaced. In this collection fourteen distinguished scholars, from both sides of the Atlantic, have come together to give the first in-depth scholarly account of this historic event. From a variety of perspectives the essays, based on extensive interviews, explore the election candidates, parties, and issues, and places them within the context of the Federal Republic's history, the end of the Bonn Republic, and the beginning of the Berlin Republic. Special chapters focus on the growing importance of women in electoral politics, voting behavior and the influence of the media, and the significance of the election for the European Union.