Politics in the age of austerity edited by armin schafer and wolfgang streeck polity mm3028 streeck textindd iii3028 streeck textindd iii 223 10 2012 14023 10 2012 1402. Many see the leading economies in the world as living in an age of austerity bedeviled by a residue of economic problems from the past this volume explores the politics of austerity the first introductory chapter lays things out we see an increase in government debt falling voter turnout and the link between debt and democracy. Politics in the age of austerity is a hugely important contribution to the contemporary literature on the political economy of the advanced capitalist countries featuring a series of penetrating essays by some of the fields foremost theorists the book offers a powerful and sobering picture of the dilemmas and constraints that . Introduction politics in the age of austerity armin schafer and wolfgang streeck democracy depends on choice citizens must be able to infl uence the course of government through elections if a change in government cannot translate into different policies democracy is incapacitated many mature. In a world of increasing austerity measures democratic politics comes under pressure with the need to consolidate budgets and to accommodate financial markets the responsiveness of governments to voters declines however democracy depends on choice citizens must be able to influence the course