Political Party System: Theoretical Discourse

Inside the Philippine Context

About Political Parties

Born out of practice or promise of elections and representative government.

Major initial steps in creation of party organization: British Electoral reforms in 1832, 1867, and 1884.

“When suffrage is greatly restricted, local electoral committees are simply not needed.

About Political Parties

It is argued that the first political parties were formed as the end products of the desire of various social forces to have their interests articulated and represented in the government.

Today, it is the embodiment of the very interests and issues that divide their societies as a whole.

About Political Parties

A political party can be defined as: A group of people organized for the

purpose of winning government power, by electoral, or other means.

Incorporates a diversity of political interests within its fold.

United by a definite set of party programs, and together attempt to push a consistent line of policy.

About Political Parties

According to Robert Bone: It has an organizational structure with

lines of authority and power distribution;

Seek to attract popular support via votes;

Recruit and field candidates for elective positions (usually based on the person’s adherence on the party’s ideology and programs)

About Political Parties

Thus, an interest group becomes a political party when it seeks to place its members in elective positions.

Typology of Parties

Can be subdivided into several categories based on the ff. characteristics:

Membership Arena of Activities Ideological orientation

Typology of Parties: Membership Mass Parties- open to all types and

classes of persons

Cadre Parties- high degree of centralization and ideological unity (adopt proactive, rather than reactive political strategies)

Devotee Parties- center on a person rather than shared ideas or platforms

Typology of Parties: Arena of Activities Constitutional Parties- operate within

the boundaries of the existing political system

Revolutionary Parties- seek the destruction of the existing ones via rebellion or revolution

Typology of Parties: Ideological Orientation Left (i.e Bolshevism, Maoism)- seek

the social prioritization of the goal of economic equality and an “active state” to destroy what they believe to be fundamental inequalties present in society.

Center (liberal)- laissez faire; minimum state role in the economy

Typology of Parties: Ideological Orientation Center- Right- believes that

government policy should not target specific groups to the detriment of others; but to provide peace and order, defense, and to ensure legal contracts are properly enforced; and that policies for that enhance social progress are those that provide meaningful incentives for work, not costly government programs that purposely benefit specific groups in society.

Typology of Parties: Ideological Orientation Center- Left- different from the Far-

Left by their disavowal of violence and coercion.

Equitable distribution of wealth is still a social goal that should be realized through proper state intervention

However, people affected must be the final arbitrator as to whether this is desirable

Typology of Parties: Ideological Orientation Right- conservatism and

exclusionism; believes in natural differences among humans and there are races, religions, classes more fit to rule than others

The Functions of Parties

Linkage Interest Articulation and aggregation

Socialization and Mobilization

Representation

The Functions of Parties

Governance Functions

Political Recruitment

Consolidating the operations of government

Fiscalization and Feedback

Party Systems: Definition and Types Party System

May be defined as the pattern of relationships existing between parties in a given polity

Note: The mere existence of parties does not automatically presuppose the existence of a party system

Party Systems: Definition and Types Condition of party activities

Political party Systems are either competitive or non-competitive.

Non-Competitive- when all political activities are prohibited by the State, save for those of the ruling party.

Political activities of other parties and interest groups are strictly regulated or banned.

Party Systems: Definition and Types Competitive Systems allow all

political parties to openly contest for power.

Electoral Mechanism is the main dispenser of the political power, guided by the laws formulated for its orderly exercise.

Party Systems: Definition and Types Number of active political parties

One-Party System- similar to a non-competitive system

Prevalent in socialist-communist systems dominated by the Leninist concept of “vanguardism” and the populist movements that dominated in Africa and Asia after decolonization.

Party Systems: Definition and Types Two-Party System- although a number of minor

parties exist, only two parties enjoy sufficient electoral and legislative strength to have a realistic prospect of winning government power

The Larger Party of the Two at any time is able to rule alone (usually via legislative majority); the other provides the opposition.

Power alternatives between the two; both are electable; opposition serves as the government in the wings

Party Systems: Definition and Types Multi-Party System

Exists when electoral system is open to numerous parties.

Usual strategy: “coalition” politics

Usually forms power blocs for control since no party can control the government at any given time

Party Systems: Definition and Types Just because there are many parties,

it does not mean that it constitute a “full” multi-party system, since in reality in can be dominated by one party.

Distinguishing feature of it: Dispersal of Votes

Can be further divided as dominant or loose type.

Party Systems: Definition and Types Loose Multi-Party System

If three or more parties routinely gets more than 15% of the votes

In that case, these three usually negotiate and compromise amongst themselves to form a government.

Prevalent in Italy, France, and Spain.

Party Systems: Definition and Types Dominant Multi-Party System

If one party regularly wins the elections in a multi-party system.

Example: Liberal Democratic Party in Japan (38 straight years

Effects of an Electoral Systems on Party System Elections become important to the

construction of a party system, not its type of government.

Party Systems and governments are shaped by other factors, like political culture, class division and electoral preferences, etc.

Effects of an Electoral Systems on Party System Elections become important to a

construction of a party system because they reflect the essential values that a system holds.

Elections, as the formal structures that translate voter support into political representation, affects the party system as an “intermediary force”.

Effects of an Electoral Systems on Party System It influences the behavior of parties

competing for political power, their strategies for campaigning and governing, as well as the stability of their rulership.