Passages to Power Legislative Recruitment in Advanced Democracies

Recruitment to legislative office is one of the core functions of political systems, yet we know little about how the process varies from one country to another. Passages to Power provides a comparative account of legislative recruitment which applies a common analytical framework and new survey data to nineteen advanced democracies. Legislative recruitment refers to the critical step as people move from lower levels of politics into parliamentary careers. Who succeeds in becoming a politician? Who fails? And why? Based on original research which adopts a 'new institutionalist' perspective, this 1997 book compares these issues in a wide range of countries. This important study brings together an outstanding group of international scholars to look at recruitment around the world. The countries examined in depth include Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with a comparison of all member states in the European Union.

1. Introduction: theories of recruitment Pippa Norris; 2. Australia Ian McAllister; 3. Canada Lynda Erickson; 4. Finland Voitto Helander; 5. Germany Bernhard Wessels; 6. Japan Haruhiro Fukui; 7. The Netherlands Monique Leijenaar and Kees Niemoller; 8. New Zealand Helena Catt; 9. United Kingdom Pippa Norris and Joni Lovenduski; 10. United States Paul S. Herrnson; 11. Conclusions: comparing passages to power Pippa Norris.

Recruitment to legislative office is one of the core functions of political systems, yet we know little about how the process varies from one country to another. Passages to Power, first published in 1997, provides a comparative account of legislative recruitment which applies a common analytical framework and new survey data to nineteen advanced democracies.