Norway - 9780367096090

Taylor & Francis

A discussion of the political system of Norway focusing on political parties, democracy and accountability in one of the richest countries in the world that still is anchored in an egalitarian culture with a strong local base and facing the challenge of a dynamic Europeization process. > Norway is by history and culture very much a Scandinavian nation with its own unique profile. This book analyzes the factors that have shaped the sociocultural fabric of Norwegian politics. One of the most important themes Heidar analyzes is the power of the periphery, both in social as well as geographic terms. In the geographic sense, Norway is a small nation, and although it has been able to remain economically and politically stable, it is situated on the European flank. It is therefore dependent upon and vulnerable to external economic and political developments. In critical periods of its history, Norway's size has made it an object rather than an initiator of change. In the social sense, Non