Parties and Political Systems Flashcards
What are two definitions of a political party?
- A party is a group whose members propose to act in concert in the competitive struggle for elected office (Schumpeter)
- A party is a group whose members cooperate chiefly in an effort to get some of their number elected to office (Schattsneider)
What is the party system?
In democratic systems, more than one party puts forward candidates for office. This creates a party system.
A party system is the political parties within a given state and the pattern of competition and cooperation between them
Name four factors that differentiate political parties
political history (path to the present)
socio-economic structure
societal cleavages
type of electoral regime.
Name some functions of the party system
Structuring the vote (giving it form and meaning)
Integrating and mobilizing the polity
Political education and socialization
Articulating and aggregating interests
Recruiting political leaders
Organizing government
Formulating public policies
Name and describe two early party system theorists
Ostrogorski (1902) - normative or moralistic approach: parties viewed as ‘necessary evils’; a natural extension of factions pursuing influence and benefits; ‘vehicles of corruption’ if they seek to retain power
Michels (1915) – “a party can never be faithful to the goals and constituency for which it was originally founded”. The ‘iron law of oligarchy’ states that power always concentrates at the top and will be used for purposes of self-preservation (organizational goals).
Types of political party (duverger)
Cadre (liberal-conservative): caucus-based; election
Mass (socialist): local/regional branches; education/election
Vanguard (communist/anarchist): semi-autonomous cells; agitation/propaganda/revolution
Devotee (fascist): militias; direct action/mass mobilization
Types of political parties (contemporary)
All major parties today are “Electoral-Professional” parties that rely on experts to market the party to voters, tend to be leader-dominated, use digital politics & engage in a ‘permanent campaign’.
Catch-all or Brokerage party: pragmatic, non-ideological, ‘middle of the road’ parties seeking broad-based support from the electorate
Programmatic party: a clear ideological perspective and coherent set of policy goals (more principled and less pragmatic than catch-all).
Personalistic party: created or dominated by a powerful leader who controls a weak party organization totally subservient to the leader
Name the party systems
One party dominant: one party governs over a long period of time without effective competition from other parties; competition continues via factions within the ruling party (Japan, Alberta until 2015, some US states)
Two party: only two major parties contest for government; other parties may exist as minor players but do not share in power (USA)
Multi-party: three or more parties that contest for power, often resulting in coalition governments; moderate multi-party (3-5 parties as in Canada and Germany) and fragmented multi-party (more than 5, none with large # of seats, as in Netherlands or Italy)
Determinants: socio-economic structure, societal cleavages, and institutional-technical factors (especially the electoral system).
What are the types of electoral systems?
Extreme PR encourages a party system that has large number of parties many of which appeal to narrow segments of the electorate (Israel)
Moderate PR and Hybrid systems have fewer parties usually grouping themselves into balanced clusters (Germany, New Zealand)
Plurality (single member, single ballot): favours large parties & punishes small ones; regular alteration of power between two major parties
Majority (two ballots or preferential): encourages multiple party system that is flexible and dependent (cooperation between like-minded parties)
Choice of electoral system will restrict or expand the number of parties & affects the degree of stability and cooperation in the party system
What is party congealment?
Long lasting political cleavages emerge around formative events and during key moments in a country’s history
Congealment: Parties work to maintain and perpetuate permanent voter coalitions around high priority conflicts (cleavages)
Frozen cleavages: Divisions or conflicts within society that structure political competition over long periods of time
Congealment can be overcome when cleavages become ‘unfrozen’. This can result in a major realignment of voter loyalties, rise of new parties, and increases in either voter participation or abstention
Describe what a catch all party is
Postwar affluence & development of large middle class creates conditions for policy consensus, decline of ideology and emergence of catch-all or brokerage parties
“The broader the party appeal, the shallower the party platform” (Bell)
Voter sovereignty model (Downs): competition between parties will tend to converge on the ‘median voter’; parties move to the centre & market themselves based on promised benefits, leadership, and short term issues
Critics: parties do not just ‘chase voters’, they shape voter preferences; they act as ‘organizers of difference’ in the electorate; ideology remains a salient factor in party competition and voter choice
Describe ideological competition between parties
Voter backlash against pragmatic catch-all parties; resurgence of ideology with formation of new parties critical of mainstream politics
Competition forces parties to find ways to differentiate themselves from their opponents; “the greater the number of parties, the broader the (left-right) ideological dimension” (Sartori)
Ideological constraint limits the reach of party appeals; most voters choose between parties with a similar ideological orientation
Party messages and platform must consolidate a core voter base plus maximize potential party vote (optimal ideological positioning)
