This is a major new text on Irish politics written by two leading authorities. Distinctive in providing a comprehensive treatment of Irish politics north and south, it is accessibly written and offers an up-to-date and comprehensive account of institutions, issues and developments........... By Maura Adshead and Jonathan Tonge MAURA ADSHEAD is Senior Lecturer and Public Administration in Politics in the Department of Politics and Public Administration, Unviersity of Limerick, Ireland. She is author of Developing European Regions? (2002) and co-editor of Public Administration and Public Policy in Ireland: Theory and Methods (2003) and Contesting the State: Lessons from the Irish Case (2008).......... JONATHAN TONGE is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool, UK. He is author of over 50 books, chapters and articles on British and Northern Irish politics. Recent books include Irish Protestant Identities (2008 co-edited), Northern Ireland (2006) and Sinn Fein and the SDLP (2005 with Gerry Murray).............Table of Contents..Introduction: Political Foundations of Irish Politics PART I: POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS The Executive The Legislature The Bureaucracy The Judiciary PART II: POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR Political Parties and the Party System Electoral System and Voting Behaviour Civil Society, Interest Groups and Pressure Politics Political Culture PART III: PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION Territorial Administration and Sub-National Government Economic Management Social Policy and the Welfare State Ireland in the EU Conclusions: Towards a New Ireland?