Morality Politics in Western Europe Parties, Agendas and Policy Choices [Hardcover]

Why do some countries have 'Culture Wars' over morality issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage while other countries hardly experience any conflict? This book argues that morality issues only generate major conflicts in political systems with a significant conflict between religious and secular parties.Introduction; I.Engeli , C.Green-Pedersen & L.T.Larsen Theoretical Perspectives on Morality Issues; I.Engeli , C.Green-Pedersen & L.T.Larsen How to Study the Two Worlds of Morality Politics; I.Engeli , C.Green-Pedersen & L.T.Larsen Morality Issues in the Netherlands: Coalition Politics under Pressure; A.Timmermans & G.Breeman From Prohibition to Permissiveness: a Two Wave Change on Morality Issues in Spain; L.Chaqu?s Bonafont & A.M.Palau Roqu? Morality Politics in Switzerland: Politicization through Direct Democracy; I.Engeli & F.Varone Morality Politics in the United Kingdom: Trapped Between Left and Right; L.T.Larsen , D.T.Studlar & C.Green-Pedersen Morality Issues in Denmark: Policies without Politics; E.Alb?k ; C.Green-Pedersen & L.T.Larsen The US and Western Europe Compared: How the 'God Gap' Led the US to Join the Religious World of Morality Politics; D.T.Studlar The Two Worlds of Morality Politics  What Have We Learned? I.Engeli , L.T.Larsen & C.Green-Pedersen

'Pathbreaking in its theoretical insight and scope of coverage, Morality Politics in Western Europe solves the puzzle of how and where moral conflicts arise in a secularized Europe... This original contribution is essential reading for all scholars and students of public policy, comparative studies, and religion and politics.'

- Raymond Tatalovich, Professor of Political Science, Loyola University, Chicago, USA

'Theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich, the studies collected in this book explain the puzzling fact of why in some countries morality issues become politically explosive, while in others they sometiml³6