This book considers the state of Czech democracy, following the rise of authoritarian regimes in Poland and Hungary and the ascent of billionaire oligarch Andrej Babiš to the office of prime minister of the Czech Republic, leading to concerns about conflict of interest.

Part 1: Values & the system.- Chapter 1. The Czech Republic:  A flawed democracy- An  introduction (Sabrina P. Ramet).- Chapter 2.  Czech Values in the Czech Republic in a European context (Petra Raudenská and Jaroslava Pospíšilová).- Chapter 3.  Czech politics at a crossroads? (Elisabeth Bakke).- Part 2: Education, Media, & Culture.- Chapter 4.  The Czech Media Landscape in the Post-Transformation Stage:  Main Trends and Problems (Jaromír Volek).- Chapter 5.  Dealing with the Past – The History Textbook (Oldřich Tůma).- Chapter 6.  Civic Values in the Films of Jan Hřebejk and Petr Jarchovský (Herbert J. Eagle).-  Part 3: Gender And Civil Society.- Chapter 7.  The Political Participation and Representation of Czech Women since 1989 (Vladimir Ðorđević).- Chapter 8. Feminism in the Czech Republic (Sharon Wolchik).- Chapter 9.  With or Without You:  Ideas of Citizenship Driving or Deactivating Participation in Czech Collective Action (Jiří Navrátil and Ondřej Císař).- Chapter 10.  Anti-Semitism in the Czech Republic (Eva Taterová).- Part 4: Conclusion.- Chapter 11.  The Importance of Civic Culture – Conclusion (Vladimir Ðorđević and Sabrina P. Ramet).

This book considers the state of Czech democracy, following the rise of authoritarian regimes in Poland and Hungary and the ascent of billionaire oligarch Andrej Babiš to the office of prime minister of the Czech Republic, leading to concerns about conflicts of interest. The authors argue that civic values, such as tolerance, respect for the equality of people, and readiness to play by the rules of the political game, are key factors in determining whether the Czech Republic will maintain its democracy in the coming years. The book employs a broad perspective, bringing together insights from political science, sociology, cultural studies, and other disciplines to analyse changes in the democracy of the Czech Republic since 1989, taking into consideration various dimensions of civic values, including politics, gender inequality, film, and the media.Sabrina P. Ramet is Professor Emerita of Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Norway. Vladimir Ðorđević is Assistant Professor in the Department of Territorial Studies of the Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies of Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic.Christine M. Hasenstab is a retired attorney who also worked as an Adviser in the EU Grants Office at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Norway.

“This absorbing multi-authored volume puts contemporary Czech democracy under the microscope, observing and recording local attitudes towards politics, civil society, minorities, race, feminism, and much else besides. The result is a fascinating glimpse into the complexities and contradictions of Czech democracy three decades after the end of Communist rule and at a time of deep political crisis internationally. This book will be of particular interest to political scientists, historians, sociologists, and journalists.”  —    Mary Heimann, Cardiff University, UK   “This is a really astonishing book, readable and informative even for somebody who knows Czech reality. This comprehensive volume deals with the course of the transformation of the post-communist country from the former Eastern bloc. It does not remain on the level of description of the democratization process in the 1990s, but also analyses the opposing tendencies and challenges of the last decade. The international team of authors offers both the insight of Czechs with inside knowledge and reflections on changes from an international perspective.”  —    Renáta Sedláková, Palacký University, Czech Republic

Provides the first systematic examination of civic and uncivic values in the Czech Republic Includes analyses of Czech literature, film, and religion as they impact the values of Czechs Situates Czech society and politics in a broader European context

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