A new article co-authored by Dr Katja Mirwaldt on party manifestos and democratic values in Britain, France and Germany has been published in the journal West European Politics.
Written together with Dr Nicholas Allen (Dept of Politics & International Relations, Royal Holloway University of London), the article analyses changes in party-manifesto references to democracy in post-war Britain, the French Fifth Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. It finds that in recent decades parties in all three countries have generally become more supportive of and more vocal in their calls for citizen participation in political decision-making, with a related increase in expressed support for direct democracy and other opportunities for participation. It also finds that left-wing parties have tended to be more enthusiastic than right-wing parties.
Based on the findings, the article discusses the significance of democracy-speak for parties and citize. Democracy-Speak: Party Manifestos and Democratic Values in Britain, France and Germany, by Nicholas Allen and Katja Mirwaldt, West European Politics, 33(4) 870-893, July 2010.