This book explains why the level of party presidentialization varies from one country to another. It considers the effects of constitutional structures as well as the party's original features, and argues that the degree of party presidentialization varies as a function of the party's genetics.
"This book is an important contribution to the study of political parties and the role of the presidents in contemporary democracies. Based on 11 in-depth country case studies, it highlights the political dynamics that account for variation in the presidentialization of political parties in different regime types. While stressing the importance of institutions, it shows that the presidentialization of political parties is at least partly shaped by their genetic features. This book provides an important contribution to comparative studies and should be read by both scholars and students alike." Robert Elgie, Dublin City University, Ireland
"With this rich and coherent set of case studies, Passarelli and contributors greatly advance the debate about the extent to which different constitutional systems make possible the 'presidentialization' of political parties. The authors show that 'presidentialization' rarely obtains unless the system is institutionally presidential, yet it is important as well to consider specific organizational features of parties which shape the extent of executive dominance over other actors within a party. This book will be essential reading for those concerned with party politics in modern democracies." Matthew S. Shugart, University of California, Davis, USA
"With this rich and coherent set of case studies, Passarelli and contributors greatly advance the debate about the extent to which different constitutional systems make possible the 'presidentialization' of political parties. The authors show that 'presidentialization' rarely obtains unless the system is institutionally presidential, yet it is important as well to consider specific organizational features of parties which shape the extent of executive dominance over other actors within a party. This book will be essential reading for those concerned with party politics in modern democracies." Matthew S. Shugart, University of California, Davis, USA