A growing body of work has examined the relationship between media and politics from an
agenda-setting perspective: Is attention for issues initiated by political elites with the media following
suit, or is the reverse relation stronger? A long series of single-country studies has suggested a number
of general agenda-setting patterns but these have never been confirmed in a comparative approach. In a
comparative, longitudinal design including comparable media and politics evidence for seven European
countries (Belgium,Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), this study
highlights a number of generic patterns. Additionally, it shows how the political system matters. Overall,
the media are a stronger inspirer of political action in countries with single-party governments compared to
those with multiple-party governments. But, this larger media effect under single-party governments is due
fully to the higher reactivity of the opposition parties; government parties are more reactive to media under
multiparty governments.