Using an innovative framework for the study of voting behavior in parliamentary democracies, this book sheds new light on the ongoing personalization of politics. The analysis makes use of national election study data from Britain, Germany and The Netherlands and shows that party leaders can often be the difference between victory and defeat.

Dr. Diego Garzia is Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy. He has authored over 60 academic publications and professional reports including articles in journals such as Electoral Studies, Political Psychology, Party Politics, Political Research Quarterly and West European Politics. He is member of the Italian National Election Study (ITANES).