Herbert Kitschelt
Encyclopedia
Herbert P. Kitschelt is a political science
scholar and George V. Allen Professor of International Relations at Duke University
, North Carolina. Kitschelt's key intellectual contribution is arguably his redefinition of the competitive space for political parties in Western Europe
. Kitschelt claims that the traditional patterns along which parties competed had progressively shifted to a new pattern of political division: left-libertarian versus right-authoritarian as a result of social changes in advanced capitalist societies. He was also one of the first scholars to systematically study the rise of Green parties in Europe, which he understood as a form of 'left-libertarian' politics. With co-authors he has also explained the rise of the new radical right
parties in Europe, in light of this shift and studied the formation of party systems in post-communist democracies. In respect to Eastern Europe, Kitschelt argues that patterns of party competition in post-communist states - and the extent to which they are structured in programmatic (as opposed to clientelistic) terms- are produced by legacies of different forms of communist rule, which in turn reflect pre-communist social and state structures. Kitschelt and his co-authors accept, however, that institutional arrangements will start to gain importance over time and may be crucial in strengthening the process of party system development. His more recent writing focuses on issues of party-society links, patronage and clientelism.
Press, 1989), The Transformation of European Social Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 1994), The Radical Right in Western Europe: A Comparative Analysis
(University of Michigan
Press, 1995) in collaboration with Anthony J. McGann; H. P. Kitschelt, Zdenka Mansfeldova, Radoslav Markowski and Gabor Toka, Post-Communist Party Systems, Competition, Representation, and Inter-Party Cooperation (Cambridge University Press, 1999) and Patrons or Policies? Patterns of Democratic Accountability and Political Competition, co-edited with Steven Wilkinson (Cambridge University Press, 2006).
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
scholar and George V. Allen Professor of International Relations at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, North Carolina. Kitschelt's key intellectual contribution is arguably his redefinition of the competitive space for political parties in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
. Kitschelt claims that the traditional patterns along which parties competed had progressively shifted to a new pattern of political division: left-libertarian versus right-authoritarian as a result of social changes in advanced capitalist societies. He was also one of the first scholars to systematically study the rise of Green parties in Europe, which he understood as a form of 'left-libertarian' politics. With co-authors he has also explained the rise of the new radical right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
parties in Europe, in light of this shift and studied the formation of party systems in post-communist democracies. In respect to Eastern Europe, Kitschelt argues that patterns of party competition in post-communist states - and the extent to which they are structured in programmatic (as opposed to clientelistic) terms- are produced by legacies of different forms of communist rule, which in turn reflect pre-communist social and state structures. Kitschelt and his co-authors accept, however, that institutional arrangements will start to gain importance over time and may be crucial in strengthening the process of party system development. His more recent writing focuses on issues of party-society links, patronage and clientelism.
Works
Kitschelt's key works are The Logics of Party Formation: Ecological Politics in Belgium and Germany (Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
Press, 1989), The Transformation of European Social Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 1994), The Radical Right in Western Europe: A Comparative Analysis
The Radical Right in Western Europe
The Radical Right in Western Europe: A Comparative Analysis is a book written by Herbert Kitschelt in collaboration with Anthony J. McGann. It is a political science study of far right political party experiences in seven countries of Western Europe....
(University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Press, 1995) in collaboration with Anthony J. McGann; H. P. Kitschelt, Zdenka Mansfeldova, Radoslav Markowski and Gabor Toka, Post-Communist Party Systems, Competition, Representation, and Inter-Party Cooperation (Cambridge University Press, 1999) and Patrons or Policies? Patterns of Democratic Accountability and Political Competition, co-edited with Steven Wilkinson (Cambridge University Press, 2006).