Political leadership in liberal democracies

the long version

This internationally comparative introduction to the study of political leadership looks at the role played by Presidents and Prime Ministers in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States and their scope for action: Can they shape the decision-making process, or is it shaped for them? Can they exercise leadership individually, or is leadership collective? Can they innovate, or do they react? Concentrating on the period since 1945, Political Leadership in Liberal Democracies will appeal both to students of comparative politics and the core executive, as well as to a wider audience interested in the role of the world's most important democratic political leaders.