During the 1990s many dramatic changes influenced the basic characteristics of the Israeli democracy. This volume examines the challenges and circumstances the country has faced and addresses both the public's and leadership's singular goal of "peace and security".

The book also investigates the renewed constitutional framework which attempted to meet new challenges, but in reality contributed to the evolution of "new politics" and a new party system. This new system is explored through an analytical study of the history of the party system with an emphasis on new phenomena, such as the growing fragmentation of recent years. Developments since the early 1990s are also examined, looking at the governmental periods of Prime Ministers: Shamir, Rabin, Peres, Netanyahu and Barak.