Contemporary Western societies are witnessing ground-breaking social, economic and political changes at an accelerating pace. These changes are challenging the way democracy works and the role that political elites play in this system of government. Using a theoretical and empirical approach, this volume argues that political elites are urged to develop new strategies in order to achieve interest aggregation, to safeguard collective action, and to maintain elite autonomy and stability. The adaptive capacities of political elites are assessed through case studies, comparative and longitudinal analyses of their social structure, their recruitment patterns, and their attitudes. The book includes contributions from reputable scholars in the field of elite research and specialists on individual political systems across Europe and the US. It provides an analytical framework demonstrating that political elites are inevitable and potentially able to respond successfully to varying challenges. The book will be of key interest to scholars and students of political elites, democracy, comparative politics, political participation and European Politics.

Contemporary Western societies are witnessing ground-breaking social, economic and political changes at an accelerating pace. These changes are challenging the way democracy works and the role that political elites play in this system of government. Using a theoretical and empirical approach, this volume argues that political elites are urged to develop new strategies in order to achieve interest aggregation, to safeguard collective action, and to maintain elite autonomy and stability. The adaptive capacities of political elites are assessed through case studies, comparative and longitudinal analyses of their social structure, their recruitment patterns, and their attitudes. The book includes contributions from reputable scholars in the field of elite research and specialists on individual political systems across Europe and the US. It provides an analytical framework demonstrating that political elites are inevitable and potentially able to respond successfully to varying challenges. The book will be of key interest to scholars and students of political elites, democracy, comparative politics, political participation and European Politics.

When asked, 'What is East German Now', Sebastian Jung's (*1987) answer is far from being one-dimensional or monocausal. On the contrary, his astute observations of all the unrealised promises of salvation are equally empathetic and witty. Revealingly, he intensifies and delegates the grotesque tension between oppressive solitude, consumption, and amusement to the beholders, whose laughter gets stuck in their throats. Despite its formal humour and wit, the works in Jung's new book demand a distinguished discussion on violence, hatred, and solitude in East Germany. Text in English and German.

Dieses Buch befasst sich mit der Rekrutierung und den Karrierelogiken "soz- listischer Manager" in der DDR, die in ihrer Funktion als Leiter von volksei- nen Betrieben und Kombinaten eine Schlusselstellung in der Planwirtschaft inne hatten und daher als Angehoerige der oekonomischen Elite bezeichnet werden koennen. Die empirischen Befunde beruhen auf statistischen Analysen proze- produzierter Massendaten, die in den achtziger Jahren durch den staatlichen Verwaltungsapparat erhoben und gespeichert wurden. Mit Bezug auf die Sozial- und Institutionengeschichte der DDR einerseits und differenzierungstheoretische UEberlegungen andererseits fuhlt sich meine Arbeit gleichsam der historischen Sozialforschung und einer Soziologie des Realsozialismus verpflichtet. Wesentliche Erkenntnisse basieren zum Teil auf Forschungsleistungen, die innerhalb des Teilprojektes A1 "Fuhrungsgruppen und gesellschaftliche Differenzierungsprozesse in der DDR" des Sonderf- schungsbereiches 580 an den Universitaten Jena und Halle-Wittenberg erbracht wurden. Der Rat der Fakultat fur Sozial- und Verhaltenswissenschaften der Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena hat die vorliegende Monographie am 30. April 2008 als Dissertation angenommen. Das Promotionsverfahren wurde am 19. November 2008 abgeschlossen. Ich danke meinem Betreuer und Erstgutachter Prof. Dr. Heinrich Best, dem Zweitgutachter Prof. Dr. Michael Hofmann, den Sekretarinnen Frau Sylvia Juhasz und Frau Anja Moehring, Herrn Ulf Rathje vom Bundesarchiv Berlin sowie allen studentischen Hilfskraften des Teilprojektes A1 des SFB 580. - sonderer Dank gilt meiner Schwester, Dr. Britta Salheiser, meinen Kollegen Dr. Ronald Gebauer und Dr. Dietmar Remy sowie meinen Freunden Michael Pietzsch M.A. und Ronald Zieger M.A. fur ihre hilfreichen Ratschlage und Anmerkungen in zahllosen Gesprachen, vor allem jedoch fur ihr unermudliches Korrekturlesen.