The Oxford Handbook of French Politics

The Oxford Handbook of French Politics provides a comprehensive and comparative overview of the French political system through the lens of political science.

The Handbook is organized into three parts: the first part identifies foundational concepts for the French case, including chapters on republicanism and social welfare; the second part focuses on thematic large-scale processes, such identity, governance, and globalization; while the third part examines a wide range of issues relating to substantive politics and policy, among which are chapters on political representation, political culture, social movements, economic policy, gender policy, and defense and security policy.

The volume brings together established and emerging scholars and seeks to examine the French political system from a comparative perspective. The contributors provide a state-of-the-art review both of the comparative scholarly literature and the study of the French case, making The Oxford Handbook of French Politics an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the foundations of contemporary political life in France.

Robert Elgie is Paddy Moriarty Professor of Government and International Studies at Dublin City University. He has published numerous books, including The Study of Political Leadership: Foundations and Contending Accounts (Palgrave 2015), Semi-Presidentialism: Sub-types and Democratic Performance (Oxford University Press, 2011), and Political Institutions in Contemporary France (Oxford University Press, 2003). He has published in journals such as Comparative Political Studies, British Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, and Journal of Democracy. He is the Editor of the journal French Politics and the Review Editor for Government and Opposition.

Emiliano Grossman is an Associate Professor at Sciences Po in Paris, working at the Centre d'etudes europeennes. He teaches Comparative Politics and Public Policy and is the co-convenor of the Master of European Affairs at Sciences Po. He specializes in political institutions and agenda-setting processes. He is currently heading the French Agendas Project and is involved in several related research projects, ranging from the influence of media on policymaking to questions relating to partisan effects in policymaking. He has published widely on these issues, most recently in journals like Governance, Comparative Political Studies, and Journal of Legislative Studies.


Amy G. Mazur is the C.O. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Washington State University. She is also an Associate Researcher at the Centre d'Etudes Europeennes, Sciences Po, Paris. Her recent books include Politics, Gender, and Concepts (editor with Gary Goertz, Cambridge University Press 2008), The French Fifth Republic at Fifty: Beyond Stereoytpes (editor with Sylvain Brouard and Andrew Appleton, Palgrave, 2009), and The Politics of State Feminism: Innovation in Comparative Research (with Dorothy McBride, Temple University Press, 2010). Most recently she has published in Comparative European Politics, Revue Francaise de Science Politique, and Politics and Gender. She is currently co convening the Gender Equality Policy in Practice Project (GEPP) and is Associate Editor of French Politics.