8. Do political parties and interest groups enhance democratic regimes?

Question 1

Role of political parties

Answer 1

Aggregate people’s opinions and communicate

Question 2

Political parties tend to be replaced by…

Answer 2

Networks (term used but the US gvt)

Question 3

Parties are present in liberal democracies but also

Answer 3

In illiberal democracies and autocracies

Question 4

Definition of a political party

Answer 4

“Organisation of politically like-minded people who seek political power and public office to realize their policy objectives”.

Question 5

Origins of parties and their power ?

Answer 5

16-19th : gradually evolved as parliaments were rising in power compared to the sovereign.

Question 6

When did mass parties include citizens ?

Answer 6

19th

Question 7

Michel’s ‘Iron law of oligarchy”

Answer 7

Most of politics are controlled by a small number of elite

Question 8

What are the “catch all parties” ?

Answer 8

Emerged in the 50s through 90s, parties that go where the voters are.

Question 9

Institutional role of parties ?

Answer 9

Providing a link between the executive and parliament + link on different scales

Question 10

Parties also raise money for..

Answer 10

The elections

Question 11

Polarization ?

Answer 11

The distance between the two ends of a political spectrum

Question 12

Institutionalization ?

Answer 12

The extend to which party organisation are structured and stable.

Question 13

The British system is…

Answer 13

Fragmenting

Question 14

5 party families ?

Answer 14

• Socialist
• Christian democrats/socialists (more in Germany)
• The agrarian : interest of farmers, outside org but sometimes parties (Poland)
• Liberal : right center, radical, progressive liberal MODEM
• Conservative : UMP

Question 15

Newest actors in the political spectrum ?

Answer 15

Populist parties

Question 16

Term “populism” exists since

Answer 16

Roman age

Question 17

Recent wave of populism ?

Answer 17

90-2000

Question 18

Examples of populists

Answer 18

Donald Trump, Jacobins, Jacksonian democrats (US), Tea party in the 90s in reaction of the Obama Care (economic situation)

Question 19

Populists against the ?

Answer 19

Establishment

Question 20

4 categories of right-wing populists :

Answer 20

• National chauvinists : patriotism, political elites should be prouder (freedom party in Austria)
• Populist traditionalists : the finn’s party Finland, catholic views
• Anti statist populists : target the gov, State = threat (Tea party, anti-euro UKIP)
• Defenders of “liberal values”

Question 21

Definition of populism

Answer 21

The attempt by ambitious politicians to mobilize the masses in opposition to an establishment that they depict as corrupt or self-serving.

Question 22

Definition of interest associations

Answer 22

Voluntary organizations with a public purpose, that appeal to the government but not participate directly to elections. They have some public purpose, common rules that govern people, collective.

Question 23

Olsen’s theory about interest associations ?

Answer 23

Different groups have different abilities to organize and defend their interests – geographic concentration and focus are advantages

Question 24

Examples of strong interest associations at the national level in the United States

Answer 24

Political power of the NRA: listen to NPR. AIPAC: pro-Israeli lobby.

Question 25

Good points of interest associations ?

Answer 25

• Freedom of assembly, all groups have the right to be heard (Tocqueville)
• Delivery of public services, NGOs
• Recrute people (Obama), social integration

Question 26

In autocratic systems interest groups function…

Answer 26

Top down

Question 27

Bad points of interest associations ?

Answer 27

• Certain situations : interest groups can be bad for democracy (self-interested)
• Can be exclusive, keep certain voices from rising
• Gov for the interest groups and not the people