This book investigates whether political parties function in practice according to the normative expectations of modern democratic theory. Hans Keman and Ian Budge utilize a comprehensive dataset covering 400 governments across 20 postwar democracies to analyze party behavior. By examining the formation of coalitions and the subsequent functioning of these governments, the authors provide a systematic framework for understanding how party systems influence democratic stability and policy outcomes.

Scholars in comparative politics recognize this work as a significant empirical contribution to the study of parliamentary systems and coalition dynamics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous, data-driven foundation for understanding the mechanics of modern representative government.