Parliamentary Representatives in Europe 1848-2000: Legislative Recruitment and Careers in Eleven European Countries

Long-term changes in parliamentary recruitment and patterns of political careers are studied in eleven European countries (Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom) from the middle of the 19th century to the end of the millennium. Through individual country chapters the book focuses on transformations in the social background, education, political career paths, and entrenchment in pressure groups and party offices of those who sat in national parliaments. These transformations are traced on the basis of a comprehensive and integrated data-set (the DATACUBE) providing the prerequisites for a comparative study of parliamentary representation in Europe. In addition, information about institutional settings, the development of party systems, and the political events and processes of social chance that helped to shape the recruitment and career paths of members of parliament, is given for each country.