Party Organizations and Party Systems

Reading: Katz and Mair

Class Structure:

I. Party OrganizationsTypes of partiesInternal democracy

II. Classifying party systemsStability and Fragmentation

III.Projects: Part II Strategy Reports

I: Party OrganizationsFunctions:Party in office –part of government

Theory of responsible party governmentRecruits candidates for officeProposes policy platform/agendaContests & organizes electionsStructures legislature/executive

Party on the ground - part of civic societyFacilitates internal party debateMobilizes members and activistsSimplifies/structures electoral choice

Party StructuresParty in public office

Party leader and executiveParty central office

• Mix of professionals/volunteersParliamentary party

Party on the groundSome professional organizersVolunteers –membersParty national congress/conference

Types of Party Organizations1. Elite parties 19th C

Leader dominated, local caucus, independence from central organization

2. Mass parties 1860-1960sIntegrated national unit: Central office, grassroots local branches, constituencies, regional offices, paid membershipSocial democrat/leftRooted in sectoral-ideological cleavagesAncillary organizations eg clubs, unionsInternal democracy –collective decisionmaking

Party Organizations

3. Catch-all parties 1945-Kirchheimer (1966)Party responsible to nation not sectorElectoral victory over ideological goalsMembers –resources, legitimacy, cheerleadersProfessional consultantsNational campaigns

Party Organizations4. Cartel party 1970+

Katz and Mair (1995)Cartel –all sig. parties agree share winnings and exclude new partiesState resources/subsidiesDecline of membership resourcesDecline of middle-level ‘activists’ Leader-member plebicitesCompetition about managerial competence

Example: Party recruitment

Eg British LabGerman SDPSwedish SDP

Eg Dutch VVDAustrian socialists

Formal

Eg US Dem.Canadian Libs

Eg Italy PSIFrench UDF

Informal

LocalizedCentralized

Implications new democracies?Normative ideal types?Pros and cons of internal party democracyHow do we develop grassroots party organizations?

Structure and constitutionRole of members/activistsFunctions: recruitment, policymaking, electioneering

2. Party Systems (Mair)

Duverger (1954)Number of parties

Sartori (1976)Number of parties + ideological distance•Predominant party system•Two party•Moderate pluralism (3-5)•Polarized pluralism (6+)

Classification 1956-1990 (Relevant parties with over 3% seats ref Alan Ware)

UkraineVenezuelaRussiaPolandItalyIrelandCosta RicaIndia?IsraelGermanyUSMali?DenmarkAustriaNZMexicoBelgiumAustraliaBritainJapan

Pol. PluralismMod Pluralism

Two-partyPredominant Party

Structure of Competition: Mair

Eg Canada 1993

Eg UK 1983Electoral Change

Eg Ireland 1989+

Eg Australia 1993

Electoral Stability

Party ChangeParty Stability

Structure of Party Competition: Mair

Eg Netherland, Denmark

Eg UK, NZ, Japan, Mexico

Many partiesFew partiesParty access to govnt

UnpredictablePredictableInnovations in governing coalitions

PartialWholesale or Non-alteration

Alternation in govnt

OpenClosed

Implications for democratization?

Why are parties important?Effective electoral competitionCivil society - party democracyStable government and opposition

Party reformRole of electoral system –rules of the game Role of legal system + national constitutionParty rules and party constitution

3. Projects: Strategy reportsCore problem Part IStrategy –

Identify limited range of major optionsEvaluate priorities

• Advantages -• Disadvantages -• Indicate range of uncertainties - minimize

Stepped planning (if,then/if,then)Time-line –short-term plan, long-term planDecision tree, model, figures

Wednesday class

Case Study: Democratization in Romania –visiting speaker