In the 1990s there has been an increasingly widespread sense that the governing elites are losing touch with their peoples. leaders are no longer able to count upon the acquiescence of their citizens to which they were accustomed. The disenchantment has resulted in the loss of public support for the political institutions of both the individual European nation states and of the European Union. Taking elitism and populism as the opposite poles between which the political leaders need to steer, the contributors successively consider why there appears to have been a degeneration in the quality of elite leaders, with civil societies turning against their governments and the elite mediators between the powerless and the powerful. The agenda-setting role of the media, the rival appeals to representation and referendum, the problems encountered by political parties and organised interests, and the tensions between public demand and economic constraints are all discussed. The chapters suggest that the need to lead from the front rather than from behind remains indispensable in elitist democracies.

The edited version of the various contributions is much more than a collection of conference papers: the volume invites one pass from one chapter to the next with growing interest. In addition, the notes provide specialists with a wealth of reference for browsing ... The various contributions in this fine book approach the subject from different angles ... This book discusses with much insight the complex issues involved in this ongoing process which is so vital for the future of our democracies. * Government and Opposition *
thought-provoking ... essential reading for such of the European left as still retain any appetite for thought * The Political Quarterly 1997 *
The line-up for this book is impressive. Many of the top names in political studies are here. The theme of this book is perhaps the most important one confronting politics in Europe today. - John Gaffney. Contemporary Politics. 1998.