Opportunities and Challenges for New and Peripheral Political Science Communities

This open access book offers an updated examination of the institutionalisation of political science in sixteen latecomer or peripheral countries in Europe. Its main theme is how political science as a science of democracy is influenced and how it responds to the challenges of the new millennium. The chapters, built upon a common theoretical framework of institutionalisation, are evidence-based and comparative. Overall, the book diagnoses diversity among the country cases due to their take-off points and varied political and economic trajectories. 

• Open Access
• institutionalisation
• political science
• East Central Europe
• catching up
• integration
• relevance
• development of Political Science in Europe
• homogenization
• Higher Education

“Interest in the state of political science as a discipline is growing. The thirteen authors of „Opportunities and Challenges for New and Peripheral Political Science Communities“have provided a detailed portray of sixteen smaller mostly Central and Eastern European countries. The clear focus is on the institutionalization of political science in this area. The nine chapters are well integrated by an overarching theoretical framework developed by Gabriella Ilonszki. Concepts and indicators – stability, identity, autonomy, reproduction and legitimacy - are clearly defined and used by all authors throughout their analyses. This feature of the volume allows a cumulation of results and a comparative perspective. Country specific developments are embedded in a network of international scholarly associations. This aspect is excellently highlighted by Erkki Berndtson. Summing up Christophe Roux emphasizes both achievements and problems encountered in the process of institutionalization. Onthe one hand political science on the European fringes has seized opportunities and shown a remarkable development. On the other hand perils of deinstitutionalization mainly caused by lack of resources and democratic backsliding may darken the disciplines future. In general Roux can rightfully claim that this volume offers a more nuanced view of the discipline’s development in new and peripheral political science communities than was previously held. It is a ‚must read‘ for all those interested in political science as a discipline and for policy-makers as well.” (Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Emeritus Professor, Berlin Social Science Centre, Germany)  

 “As Gabriel Almond famously noted, political science has always been a discipline divided into a great variety of schools and sects. Three decades later Gabriella Ilonszki and Christophe Roux bring a perspective on this perennial theme which is as fresh as it is fascinating. Through a focus on sixteen 'fringe' countries (mostly Central-Eastern Europe) they reveal the contours and dimensions of a deeper 'politics of' political science that has rarely been charted. What this reveals is the essential fragility of the discipline due to its power-challenging foundations - an insight which is of increasing significance for the discipline in all parts of the world.” (Matthew Flinders, Founding Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre, Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield, Vice President of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom) 

“Political Science is a relatively new academic discipline that has been fighting to be considered as an autonomous field of knowledge. Everywhere Political science has had a complex route to become institutionalized, according to national academic, political and socio-economic characteristics and developments. In this book, Gabriella Ilonszki and Christophe Roux have led a group of country experts in capitalizing  on a collective effort of  conceptualization and gathering of data to produce a comparative analysis of the diachronic evolution of Political Science in what they name European periphery.  Based on a very-well designed institutional approach, the result is a fine-grained and convincing analysis of the process of institutionalization in peripheral Europe, by showing: how complex and historically-rooted this process has been; how it is strictly intertwined with the process of democratization; how the autonomous status reached by political science in the analysed countries cannot guarantee against persistent threats and significant risks of de-institutionalization. A book that deserves to be read by all those who have at heart both the future of the discipline and the quality of democracy.” (Giliberto Capano, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of Bologna, Member of the Executive Committee of the European Consortium of Political Research. Editor of Policy and Society)

• Department of Political Science, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

  Gabriella Ilonszki

• University of Montpellier (CEPEL-CNRS), Montpellier, France

  Christophe Roux

Gabriella Ilonszki is Professor Emerita of Political Science at Corvinus University Budapest, Hungary.

Christophe Roux is Professor of Political Science at the University of Montpellier, France.

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