This comprehensive study of parliamentary regimes since 1789 covers the road to the parliamentarization of former constitutional monarchies and the creation of parliamentary regimes by exercising the constitution-making power of the people. What has been called "democratization" in most literature was until 1918 mostly "parliamentarization." Democratization of the regimes frequently caused destabilization of the parliamentary regimes by new parties and extremist movements entering the political arena. The book covers the functions of parliament and the recruitment of deputies and traces the conditions of government formation and dissolution in the triangle of forces: parliament, government, and head of the state.

Klaus von Beyme is Professor and Director of the Institute of Political Science at the University of Heidelberg.

...one of the richest works on the topic of parliamentary democracy...an interesting, well-written and valuable book... International Politics