Lecture 1
Why parties?
Jan Rovny
Some views on political parties
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"There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not
capable..." Benjamin Disraeli
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"Ignorance makes most men go into a political party, and shame keeps them
from getting out of it." Edward F. Halifax
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"Party is the madness of many, for the gain of a few." Alexander Pope
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"I was no party man myself, and the first wish of my heart was, if parties
did exist, to reconcile them." George Washington
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"Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties,
from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful
and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure
wind." George Orwell
Parties are mistrusted
Trust
Range:0-10
Police
6.43
Parliament
4.86
Politicians
3.91
Parties
3.86
*Source= ESS 1-5
Eurobarometer 2010
Why do we need parties? 1) Individuals
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Party As Information Shortcut
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Aggregation and articulation of political interest
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Large multiplicity of political issues
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Parties create ‘bundles’ of political value
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Creation of labels, symbols, 'perceptual screens'
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“packages of programs, commitments, outlooks
and sometimes Weltanschaungen” (Lipset and Rokkan)
Party As Social Organization
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Integration of localities into nation (Lipset & Rokkan p.4)
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Development of subcultures in the 19th and early
20th century
Milnsbridge Socialist Brass Band
Why do we need parties? 2) Institutions
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Institutional role
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Institutionalization of political
interest
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Institutionalization of dissent
and conflict
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Training of political leaders and
cadres
Why we need political parties? 3) Government
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Responsible Government
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Passing laws needs structure (legislature)
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Government needs support (executive)
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Political system needs legitimacy:
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Political interests -> aggregated in party platform ->
legislature/government -> policy -> attributed to party ->
party stands in elections
Why we need parties? 4) Competition
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Party as the structuring unit of political competition
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Interest aggregation, image creation, loyalty
induction, institutional organization, electoral contest
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Benefits of vibrant, but moderated competition
The debates
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1) political parties as representatives of social cleavages v. political parties as
isolated servants of special interests?
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2) political parties as representatives of cohesive social groups v. political
parties as socially loose coalitions?
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3) party competition as contest over party position, issue emphasis or issue
evasion?
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4) the role of new issues in party politics: post-materialism / new politics /
identity politics
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5) party competition after authoritarianism: eastern European parties and party
systems and their comparability to the west
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6) supranational party competition: European integration and political parties