Josep M. Colomer

In this book, Josep M. Colomer argues, against much conventional wisdom, that political polarization is embedded in the constitutional design.The book puts forth that sustained conflict and institutional gridlock are not mainly questions of character, personalities, or determined by socioeconomic or cultural inequalities. They are, above all, the result of the formula of separation of powers between the Presidency and Congress, which, together with a system of only two parties, fosters adversarial politics and polarization. Colomer contends that in the past, bipartisan cooperation and domestic peace flourished only under a foreign existential threat, such as during the Cold War. Once such a threat vanished, unsettled issues and new social concerns have broadened the public agenda and triggered again animosity and conflict.Constitutional Polarization offers innovative and relevant insights in political science to a broad readership without technical or academic jargon. It will be of high interest for those reader attentive to current affairs, as well as for public officers, journalists, pundits, and those in the study of political science, where it can also become a staple for courses in American Politics.

In this book, Josep M. Colomer argues, against much conventional wisdom, that political polarization is embedded in the constitutional design.The book puts forth that sustained conflict and institutional gridlock are not mainly questions of character, personalities, or determined by socioeconomic or cultural inequalities. They are, above all, the result of the formula of separation of powers between the Presidency and Congress, which, together with a system of only two parties, fosters adversarial politics and polarization. Colomer contends that in the past, bipartisan cooperation and domestic peace flourished only under a foreign existential threat, such as during the Cold War. Once such a threat vanished, unsettled issues and new social concerns have broadened the public agenda and triggered again animosity and conflict.Constitutional Polarization offers innovative and relevant insights in political science to a broad readership without technical or academic jargon. It will be of high interest for those reader attentive to current affairs, as well as for public officers, journalists, pundits, and those in the study of political science, where it can also become a staple for courses in American Politics.

As democracy is disrupted by globalization, the solution is to globalize democracy. This book explores the causes of the current crisis of democracy and advocates new ways for more representative, effective, and accountable governance in an interdependent world.Part 1 analyzes the split of the middle class and the subsequent political polarization which underlies people’s dissatisfaction with the way democracy works in developed countries. It also addresses the role of political emotions, including disappointments about unmet expectations, anger incited from opposition candidates, fear induced from government, and hope wrapping up new proposals for reform and change. In Part 2, the authors argue that a more effective governance would require reallocations of power at local, national, continental and global levels with innovative combinations of direct democracy, representative government, and rule by experts.This book will be of interest to students and scholars of political science, comparative politics, international relations, political economy and democratic theory, as well as general readers interested in politics and current events.

As democracy is disrupted by globalization, the solution is to globalize democracy. This book explores the causes of the current crisis of democracy and advocates new ways for more representative, effective, and accountable governance in an interdependent world.Part 1 analyzes the split of the middle class and the subsequent political polarization which underlies people’s dissatisfaction with the way democracy works in developed countries. It also addresses the role of political emotions, including disappointments about unmet expectations, anger incited from opposition candidates, fear induced from government, and hope wrapping up new proposals for reform and change. In Part 2, the authors argue that a more effective governance would require reallocations of power at local, national, continental and global levels with innovative combinations of direct democracy, representative government, and rule by experts.This book will be of interest to students and scholars of political science, comparative politics, international relations, political economy and democratic theory, as well as general readers interested in politics and current events.

The European Union will remain united, but incomplete, asymmetrical and with undefined borders. The EU, which is much more than a common market, but less than a super-state or federation, can be conceived as an "empire". With this approach, Josep Colomer analyzes the current Europe's dilemmas: the vanishing of the states' sovereignty, the core role of Germany, the border conflicts with the neighboring Russian Empire, the differences between the euro-zone and the other member-states, and the malaise of the United Kingdom and the temptation of Brexit. 'This essay will be of clear and lasting value to a range of actors on the international stage. It is erudite and scholarly, yet accessible and elegantly written, using humor and colorful metaphors to simplify a complex subject that is often treated in a dry and abstract way. The argument is innovative, yet confident and convincing.' Helen Margetts, University of Oxford, UK 'Josep M. Colomer's 'The European Empire' offers an easily readable discussion of the ways in which the European Union has developed and deals with ongoing challenges, by underlying its achievements but also its shortcomings. Clearly written for a broader audience.' Simon Hug, Universit de Gen ve, Switzerland

This book reviews bureau-type organizations delivering network goods, documenting how most global institutions greatly improved their effectiveness during the last few decades. In the current globalized world, the design and choice of appropriate institutional rules and procedures can result in effective and democratic global government.

This book reviews bureau-type organizations delivering network goods, documenting how most global institutions greatly improved their effectiveness during the last few decades. In the current globalized world, the design and choice of appropriate institutional rules and procedures can result in effective and democratic global government.

A broad, accessible, and rigorous overview of politics, The Science of Politics: An Introduction introduces students to the most substantive and important issues in the field. Josep M. Colomer takes a unique approach to the study of politics, addressing it from two points of departure: as a fundamental human activity to pursue the common interests of the members of a community (i.e., the "public good") and as the subject of systematic and reliable knowledge (i.e., science). This method helps to bridge a persistent gap between developments in research and actual teaching in the discipline. It provides students with the best possible foundation to build upon as they move into more advanced study in the field. FEATURES * Presents thirty principles that have been established through research over the years * Gives students the methodological tools to explore, study, and understand questions and issues that they may encounter * Discusses a variety of key issues including action, representation, government, and policy * Incorporates a number of pedagogical devices including summaries, key concepts, review questions, problems and applications, comparative case studies, and special features explaining classic research contributions

The role of institutions is to establish the domains of public activity and the rules to select leaders. Democratic regimes organize in simple institutional frameworks to foster the concentration of power and alternative successive absolute winners and losers. They favour political satisfaction of relatively small groups, as well as policy instability. In contrast, pluralistic institutions produce multiple winners, including multiparty co-operation and agreements. They favour stable, moderate, and consensual policies that can satisfy large groups' interests on a great number of issues. The more complex the political institutions, the more stable and socially efficient the outcome will be. This book develops an extensive analysis of this relationship. It explores concepts, questions and insights based on social choice theory, while empirical focus is cast on more than 40 democratic countries and a few international organizations from late medieval times to the present. The book argues that pluralistic democratic institutions are judged to be better than simple formula of their higher capacity of producing socially satisfactory results.

Una lecci n magistral sobre las bases de la pol tica norteamericana. El sistema institucional de Estados Unidos, uno de los m s admirados del mundo, lleva tiempo dando se ales de mal funcionamiento. Las hostilidades pol ticas tuvieron como resultado la presidencia de Donald Trump y la irrupci n de una turba tan pintoresca como peligrosa en el Capitolio durante el intento de golpe de Estado del 6 de enero de 2021. Sin embargo, los problemas se acumulaban desde hac a d cadas y contin an despu s, como observa en este l cido ensayo Josep Colomer, el polit logo espa ol de mayor prestigio internacional. El dise o institucional de la potencia norteamericana, basado en la separaci n de poderes entre el Congreso y la Presidencia con solo dos partidos, crea incentivos perversos para el antagonismo y el surgimiento de encarnizadas rivalidades pol ticas y territoriales. Solo frente a un enemigo exterior que se aparezca como una amenaza existencial, como ocurri durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y la Guerra Fr a, se contienen las fracturas internas y se apartan los temas conflictivos que las instituciones no pueden resolver con xito y de forma duradera. Trascendiendo las an cdotas m s o menos coloridas, La polarizaci n pol tica en Estados Unidos es un an lisis brillante y desapasionado de las ra ces de la mayor paradoja de las democracias occidentales: el deterioro de la eficacia de los gobernantes genera una creciente crispaci n de la escena pol tica. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION In this book, Josep M. Colomer argues, against much conventional wisdom, that political polarization is embedded in the constitutional design. The book puts forth that sustained conflict and institutional gridlock are not mainly questions of character, personalities or determined by socioeconomic or cultural inequalities. They are, above all, the result of the formula of separation of powers between the Presidency and Congress, which, together with a system of only two parties, fosters adversarial politics and polarization. Colomer contends that in the past, bipartisan cooperation and domestic peace flourished only under a foreign existential threat, such as during the Cold War. Once such a threat vanished, unsettled issues and new social concerns have broadened the public agenda and triggered again animosity and conflict. Constitutional Polarization offers innovative and relevant insights in political science to a broad readership without technical or academic jargon. It will be of high interest for those attentive to current affairs, as well as for public officers, journalists, pundits, and those in the study of political scientists, where it can also become a staple for courses in American Politics.

Old troubles with remote origins persist in modern Spain, including huge public debts, extensive corruption, widespread unlawfulness, oligarchical politics, territorial splits, and permanent protests and riots. When did Spain screw up? The Spanish Frustration provides an interpretation of several important aspects of present-day Spain and its past stories. It argues that, in the long term, Spain missed the opportunity to become a consolidated modern nation-state because it was entangled in imperial adventures for several centuries when it should have been building a solid domestic basis for further endeavors. In short: a ruinous empire made a weak state, which built an incomplete nation, which sustains a minority democracy.

Old troubles with remote origins persist in modern Spain, including huge public debts, extensive corruption, widespread unlawfulness, oligarchical politics, territorial splits, and permanent protests and riots. When did Spain screw up? The Spanish Frustration provides an interpretation of several important aspects of present-day Spain and its past stories. It argues that, in the long term, Spain missed the opportunity to become a consolidated modern nation-state because it was entangled in imperial adventures for several centuries when it should have been building a solid domestic basis for further endeavors. In short: a ruinous empire made a weak state, which built an incomplete nation, which sustains a minority democracy.

'Colomer's book is a stimulating read, certainly for anyone willing to entertain nonconventional observations that hold up well in what is happening in the world. His most important argument is that global public services, such as security, a trading system, an international monetary regime, and communication networks provided by large democratic entities such as the United States and the European Union provide opportunities for small countries and regions to prosper. The successful smaller units – like Ireland or Catalonia – trade more in proportion to their economies than large ones, are generally more democratic, and have more multilingual populations. I expect this book to be widely read and greatly admired.’–Sidney Weintraub, William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, USA