Book Reviews : British Politics and European Unity: Parties, Elites and Pressure Groups. By ROBERT J. LIEBER. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970. Pp. ix, 317. $9.00.)
| Published date | 01 December 1971 |
| Date | 01 December 1971 |
| DOI | 10.1177/106591297102400428 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
828
James
Chertko~ff
provides
an
alternative
to
existing
theories
of
coalition
forma-
tion
which
is
a
synthesis
of
the
&dquo;parity
norm&dquo;
and
the
logic
of
game
theory.
How-
ever,
there
is
a
flaw
in
his
transformation
of
the
theory
from
verbal
to
mathematical
formulation
which
makes
it
invalid
without
certain modifications.
In
the
author’s
theory,
the
expectation
of
rewards
on
the
part
of
the
individual
leads
to
coalition
preferences,
which,
if
congruent,
result
in
coalition
formation.
The
individual’s
expected
reward
from
a
coalition
is
a
combination
of
a
proportional
division
of
the
rewards
(parity)
adjusted
for
an
equal
distribution.
In
short,
people
expect
their
share
of
the
rewards
to
be
between
the
parity
norm
and
an
equal
division
of
the
&dquo;payoff.&dquo;
Yet,
the
formula
Chertkoff
presents
enables
an
individual
to
anticipate
incorrectly
a
reward
beyond
the
norm
of
parity;
this
error
can
easily
be
corrected
if
one
always
adds
to
the
calculation
of
parity
one-half
the
result
of
subtracting
an
equal
division
of
the
payoff
f rom
a
proportional
distribution
of
the
rewards.
This
latter
process
will
insure
that
a
negative
quantity
will
be
added
to
an
expected
payoff
that
is
above
an
equal
division,
and
a
positive
quantity
added
to
an
ex-
pected
payoff
less
than
would
result
from
equity.
The
only
disconcerting
aspect
of
the
book
is
that
although
several
of
the
sub-
stantive
applications
of
coalition
theory
dealt
with
some
element
of
William
Riker’s
theoretical
treatment,
nearly
all
of
the
case
studies
ignored
the
alternative
con-
ceptualizations
provided
in
the
section
on
&dquo;Theoretical
and
Methodological
Per-
spectives.&dquo;
The
result
is
that
these
highly
stimulating
formulations
lack
empirical
assessment.
Yet,
this
shortcoming
does
not
really
handicap
the
major
thrust
of
the
book,
nor
does
it
detract
from
the
theoretical
and
substantive
richness
of
the
work.
The
Study
of
Coalition
Behavior
is,
by
no
means,
the
last
word
on
coalition
forma-
tion ;
however,
it
may
be
one
of
the
most
important
for
a
long
time
to
come.
University
of
California,
Santa
Barbara
GLENN
R.
PARKER
British
Politics
and
European
Unity:
Parties,
Elites
and
Pressure
Groups.
By
ROBERT
J.
LIEBER.
(Berkeley:
University
of
California
Press,
1970.
Pp.
ix,
317.
$9.00.)
Among
students
of
British
politics,
the
belief
that
foreign
policy
is
uncommon-
ly
elitist
and
hierarchical
in
formulation,
carefully
insulated
from
the
vulgar
tussles
of
domestic
politics,
has
become
something
of
an
article
of
faith.
Even
a
knowing
foreign
observer
like
David
Vital
rearmed
the
orthodox
creed
not
long
ago.
Occasional
heretics,
it
is
true,
pop
up
now
and
then,
daring
to
cast
iconclastic
doubts
-
Kenneth
Waltz
went
so
far
as
to
nail
an
equivalent
of
the
95
Theses
in
his
1967
book - but
the
faith
of
the
true
believers
is
solid
and
marmoreal,
and
most
have
gone
on
believing
with
their
ardor
undiminished.
Apparently,
to
chal-
lenge
orthodoxy
on
this
subject
would
be
a
little
like
contesting
Middle
America’s
former
conviction
in
the
$35
value
of
an
ounce
of
gold.
Robert
Lieber
is
another
heretic,
and
a
particularly
imaginative
and
skillful
one.
It
is
the
chief
merit
of
his
invigorating
book
to
show,
with
thorough
and
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