Parties, Governments and Voters in Finland

This is an outstanding analysis of the political and social history of Finland since it gained independence from Russia in 1917. Supported by ample empirical data, Lauri Karvonen explains the "late-but-rapid-syndrome" and why Finland, as a former part of Sweden and of Russia, has been a special case in a comparative Nordic and European perspective. -- Stein Kuhnle, University of Bergen

There remains a great deal of interest in the Nordic or Scandinavian political "model" these days, but this interest usually focuses on Sweden or, possibly, Norway and Denmark. The politics and policies of Finland, which in fact present a fascinating case for study, are too often left out. This is due in good part to the absence of an up-to-date, comprehensive analysis of Finland. Fortunately, with the arrival of Professor Karvonen's latest book, this is no longer the case. This excellent volume will be of great interest and use to both specialists and comparativists – and, indeed, to interested citizens. -- Henry Milner, University of Montreal

Lauri Karvonen is Professor of Political Science at Åbo Akademi, Finland, and Director of Democracy: A Citizen Perspective (D:CE, a Centre of Excellence in Research on Democracy). His previous books include Fragmentation and Consensus (1993) and Party Systems and Voter Alignments Revisited (2001). He has published articles in journals such as International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Theoretical Politics, International Political Science Review and Party Politics.