Strong Parties and Lame Ducks - Presidential Partyarchy and Factionalism in Venezuela (Paperback, New Ed)

" Coppedge has written what may well be the best book ever published on political party behavior in Latin America; it is extensively researched, methodologically sophisticated, tightly argued, and well written. . . . The author demonstrates a mastery not only of Venezuelan and Latin American literature, but also the major theoretical works on party behavior. . . . The work is particularly noteworthy in linking political party behavior to the wider political system, along with suggesting policy changes to enhance the quality of democratic government. But even more significantly, the book is bold and imaginative in the sense that it challenges prevailing scholarship on party behavior and undoubtedly will provoke controversy." -- American Political Science Review
" Coppedge provides a wealth of data from extensive interviews with party elites, thereby shedding light on factionalism and internal clientelism. There is great richness in his treatment of Accio n Democra tica, which is the major focus for his investigation. . . . The book provides insights which merit testing in other countries." -- Choice