Includes bibliographical references (p. [287]-319) and index.

Pt. 1. The comparative approach to democracy -- Comparative approach to democracy / Hans Keman -- Development of the study of comparative politics / Hans Daalder -- Comparing democracies: theories and evidence / Hans Keman -- Pt. 2. Parties and government in democracies -- Comparative government and democracy / Ian Budge, Richard Hofferbert, Hans Keman, Michael McDonald, Paul Pennings -- Voters, elections and ideology in European democracies / Paul Pennings -- In the aggregate: mass electoral behaviour in Western Europe, 1950-2000 / Peter Mair -- Pt. 3. Democratic institutions and political action -- Interest intermediation: the cases of consociational democracy and corporatism / Klaus Armingeon -- Impact of political parties, constitutional structures and veto players on public policy / Manfred G. Schmidt -- Comparative politics and the welfare state / Kees van Kersbergen and Uwe Becker -- Pt. 4. The political performance of democracies -- Policy performance in the democratic state: an emergent field of study / Francis G. Castles -- Democratic performance: are there institutional effects? / Jan-Erik Lane and Svante Ersson -- Democratic institutions, governance and political performance / Hans Keman with the collaboration of Malika Aït Mallouk.