French presidential election, 1981

As one quickly comes to realize in the study of politics, the "rules of the game," the institutional design can determine the fate of the players in the game. This could be no truer than in the French political system. Surrounding the French presidential election of 1981 was an absolutely extraordinary set of circumstances that moved the France into a new phase of politics. From these circumstantial anomalies emerged the first Socialist president of the Fifth Republic; indeed, the election of Socialist François Mitterrand marked the first administration change in the Fifth Republic.

Bibliography

Bonfante, Jordan. "Holding Most of the Cards." TIME Europe 23 May 1988. 12 Nov. 2004 http://www.time.com/time/europe/timetrails/france/france880523.html.

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Dauncey, Hugh. "The Giscard Presidency 1974-1981: Towards a New France." Contemporary France Online. 12 Nov. 2004 http://www.well.ac.uk/cfol/giscard.asp.

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Girardet, Edward. "France Plunges into Socialist Era." Christian Science Monitor. 22 May 1981. LexisNexis. Stetson University Library, DeLand, FL. 22 Nov. 2004 http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=0b62938a11c8ff8796a7e1338dc31677&_docnum=35&wchp=dGLbVlb-zSkVA&_md5=ddffd427f5ce0c99ebb83ad826e8ed25.

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MacCulloch, Nancy and Anita McCarthy, ed. France: History and Culture. Irwindale, CA: Barr Films, 1988. Watched 1 Nov. 2004.

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Mosby, Aline. "Presidential Hopefuls Wage 'Campaign a la Americaine.'" United Press International. 25 Apr. 1981. LexisNexis. Stetson University Library, DeLand, FL. 22 Nov. 2004 http://web.lexis-lexis.com/universe/document?_m=e20a0899fea40c11b4424b0e0fc8fa50&_docnum=15&wchp=dGLbVlb-zSkVA&_md5=925eac1ecd5a0c8ee9ee20d3a847b972.

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Painton, Frederick. "France Chooses Change." TIME Europe 18 May 1981. 12 Nov. 2004 http://www.time.com/time/europe/timetrails/france/france810518.html.

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Penniman, Howard, ed. France at the Polls, 1981 and 1986: Three National Elections. Durham, NC:

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Duke University Press, 1988.

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Safran, William. The French Polity. New York: Longman, 1998.

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