Editorial.

Bandelow, Nils C. ; Sager, Fritz ; Schubert, Klaus 等

With this current issue of GPS, we are pleased to present a continuation of our successful publication series. It is the first time in which an issue contains not only contributions on a core theme, but also an independent contribution. With his analysis of the second German Grand Coalition (2005-2009), Christian Schweiger takes up an important debate. To the foreign observer in particular, the German Consensus Democracy appears to be blocked in a certain way. A perspective in view of recent developments is likely to stimulate the debate, not only from an academic-theoretical viewpoint, but also regarding political opportunities and restrictions.

The editorial team hopes to publish further interesting individual contributions in GPS in the future. Such contributions are also subject to the double blind review procedure. Further information can be found under www.politikfeldanalyse.de.

The current volume on the theme of the Welfare State follows on from Vol. 4, No. 2. Some of the contributions produced for this volume were not published in 2008, but connected with further essays. We thank the authors of the first contributions Werner Eichhorst/Maria Grienberger-Zingerle/Regina Konle-Seidl, Thomas Gerlinger and Ilona Ostner for their patience and their agreement to deviate from the usual prompt publication date, which GPS aims to achieve. We are convinced that the interesting contributions will adequate compensate for the readers.

The editors (Nils C. Bandelow, Fritz Sager, Klaus Schubert)