Transatlantic Policymaking in an Age of Austerity: Diversity and
Drift. Edited by Martin A. Levin and Martin Shapiro. Washington, DC:
Georgetown University Press, 2004. 344p. $29.95 paper.
In an age when we are aware of our increasing global connections with
one another, it is only fitting that we should observe the larger
similarities that we may share with other nations in the realm of
policymaking. In this book, editors Martin A. Levin and Martin Shapiro
argue that policymakers on both the conservative and liberal side of the
spectrum are so concerned about courting undecided voters who take a
“middle of the road” stance that they often compromise bold or
innovative policy initiatives in the name of moderation to attract these
neutral voters. To complicate matters, most governments are facing austere
conditions—which suggests that while demographic and political
forces shape policymaking, economic variables play a pivotal role as well.
The end result of this complex scenario is that policymakers are more
likely to be conformists than trailblazers.