MACMILLAN Public Preferences and Institutional Designs: Israel and Turkey Compared

This book explores the existence of gaps between public preferences and institutional designs in democracies, and specifically cases in which such gaps are maintained for a long period of time without being challenged by the electorate. Gaps such as these can be seen in the complex relations between the state and religion in Israel and Turkey, and more specifically in their policies on marriage. This line of investigation is interesting both theoretically and empirically, as despite their poles apart policies, Israel and Turkey share a similar pattern of institutional dynamics. Existing explanations for this phenomenon suggested either civil society-based arguments or intra-institutional dynamics, as reasons for the maintenance of such gaps. This book enriches our understanding of policy dynamics in democratic systems by introducing a third line of argument, one that emphasizes the effective role state institutions play in maintaining such arrangements for long periods, often against the public will.       Review “A fascinating comparison of two countries that maintain marriage policies only a minority of the population prefers. Institutional tactics used by the state preserve the status quo. What the Israeli and Turkish states are trying to achieve may be different, but both have found means for inhibiting and suppressing conflict. Golan-Nadir offers a provocative account with implications for how policies are designed and maintained in democracies.” Professor Margaret Levi, Sara Miller McCune Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University “In Israel, religious marriage is mandatory. In Turkey, it’s civil marriage. In both countries, the laws are exactly the opposite of what the bulk of each population prefers. How these states structure policies to limit and contain social pressure is the core of Golan-Nadir’s fascinating comparative analysis. Social scientists interested in institutional development, the interplay between law and politics, and public administration will benefit from reading this original work.” John V.C. Nye, Professor of Economics and Bastiat Chair in Political Economy, George Mason University “In her analysis of marriage regulation in Turkey and Israel, Niva Golan-Nadir goes beyond existing accounts of state responsiveness gaps and charts new territory by revealing the institutional politics of why states do not meet their citizens’ needs. Public Preferences and Institutional Designs is a must read for everyone interested in the complex relationship between state and religion.” Fritz Sager, Professor of Political Science, KPM Center for Public Management at the University of Bern “This book provides a sweeping and inclusive investigation ofthe endurance of disparities between popular preferences and existing policies in different realms of governance. Golan-Nadir’s “third way” is an innovative explanation of why in some cases such gaps maintained for a long period of time without being challenged by the citizenry. Policy and state-religion relations scholars, students, decision makers and other readers should take note. This is it.” Prof. Nissim Cohen, head, Department of Public Administration and Policy, The University of Haifa “Dr. Golan-Nadir offers a path-breaking analysis of the enduring power of institutional designs in democratic states, often long after these policies are no longer representative of public preferences regarding a certain policy area. By comparing marriage policies in Israel and Turkey, Golan-Nadir shows the critical influence of various active measures employed by state institutions on the endurance of official policy. This book is a must read for any student of institutionalism, religion and state, and politics in Israel and Turkey.” Aviad Rubin, Professor of Political Science, University of Haifa “Golan-Nadir's book is a path bre