Introduction

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Thomas Saalfeld is Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Bamberg and Director of the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences (BAGSS). His research interests include the study of legislatures, representation and coalitions. He has published extensively in these areas and is one of the editors of the Oxford Handbook of Legislative Studies.

Reimut Zohlnhöfer is Professor of Political Science at Heidelberg University, Germany. His research interests include German politics, political economy, comparative public policy, and policy process theory. He has published in journals such as the British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, European Journal of Political Research, Policy Studies Journal, Political Behavior, Socio-Economic Review, and West European Politics.

Notes

1 The first Grand Coalition was formed in 1966 under Chancellor Kurt-Georg Kiesinger, the second was formed in 2005 under Chancellor Angela Merkel.