Europe’s Democratic Age by Martin Conway offers an in-depth overview of the democratic development in Western Europe after the Second World War.
This study book examines how, in the years following the war, a stable and uniform parliamentary democratic model emerged in Western Europe. It analyzes the role of political elites, intellectuals, and the population in shaping this new democratic order.
Conway highlights how universal suffrage, the rise of Christian and social democratic parties, and new forms of the state laid the foundation for this political change. In addition, it addresses tensions surrounding class, gender, and decolonization that led to social and political changes in the 1960s and beyond.
Europe’s Democratic Age is an essential work for anyone seeking insight into the achievements and challenges of Western Europe’s democratic history and its influence on contemporary democratic politics.