The “-isms” and the PartiesThe “-isms” and the Parties
January 31st
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/nehttp://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Satisfaction+with+Canadian+ws/Satisfaction+with+Canadian+democracy+hits+rock+bottom+sudemocracy+hits+rock+bottom+survey+finds/7642812/story.htmlrvey+finds/7642812/story.htmlhttp://www.idea.int/parties/international_a
ssistance/parties_necesseary.cfm
“Political parties are central to representative democracy and to the process of democratization. They connect society and the state. They aggregate and represent interests. They recruit political leaders. They disseminate political information. They socialise citizens into democratic politics. They manage conflicts of interest .... Democracy in the modern world is inconceivable without healthy parties… [They offer] meaningful choicesto the electorate.”
- Westminister Foundation for Democracy, 2004
Political PartiesPolitical Parties
Group of people that nominate candidates and contest elections, seek to gain powers and control government
Functions:– socialize, mobilize public– aggregate diverse interests and demands (bundle
demands into packages)– recruit political leaders– oversee government, ensure accountability
→ bridge between government and citizens
Political Parties and the Political Parties and the Democratic IdealsDemocratic Ideals
* support popular sovereignty by mobilizing participation, recruiting leaders, keeping government accountable
* organize majority rule by aggregating diverse interests, structuring popular vote
* help to represent minority interests
* key to political competition
How do we “design Democracy” to achieve these functions?? How do we embed these functions in institutions and processes?
On what basis do you choose a On what basis do you choose a party to vote for?party to vote for?
IdeologyParty loyalty?
Leader?Issues?
Candidate (I don’t vote for the party)?Other strategic considerations?
Ideologies….Ideologies….
Seek to promote particular political and social order– action-oriented
Have core concepts but can be quite flexibleIdeologies reflect historical circumstances
– constantly changing!
The Ideological SpectrumThe Ideological Spectrum
The Left -- The Left -- SocialistSocialist
The Right -- The Right -- ConservativeConservative
• government regulation of the government regulation of the economyeconomy
• policies to help disadvantaged policies to help disadvantaged groupsgroups
• policies to redistribute incomepolicies to redistribute income
• taxation appropriate to fund taxation appropriate to fund redistributionredistribution
• greater reliance on the marketgreater reliance on the market
• fewer government regulationsfewer government regulations
• no special treatment for no special treatment for special interest groupsspecial interest groups
• lower taxeslower taxes
More Gov’tMore Gov’t Less Gov’tLess Gov’t
What is your ideology?What is your ideology?
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz_result?e=20&i=60_20.gif&p=60
Your IdeologyYour IdeologyCollectivism
Individualism
InequalityEquality
Party IdeologyParty IdeologyCollectivism
Individualism
InequalityEquality
NDP
Cons
Liberals
Republicans
Tea Party
Democrats
http://www.teaparty.org/about-us/
Canadian Party IdeologyCanadian Party IdeologyCollectivism
Individualism
InequalityEquality
LiberalParty
ConservativeParty of Canada
NDP
Republicans
Democrats
Democrats
Tea Party
But, where do “cultural” issues fit But, where do “cultural” issues fit in? in?
e.g. abortion, same-sex marriagee.g. abortion, same-sex marriage
Where do environmental issues Where do environmental issues fit in? fit in?
Do political parties in western Do political parties in western democracies truly offer voters a choice?democracies truly offer voters a choice?
Tendency of parties to gravitate towards centre to capture the average voter– right-left tendencies breaking down?
broad agreement on role of government? candidates separated more by style than ideology
Liberals and Conservatives in UKLiberals and Conservatives in UK
Republocrats, Demopublicans, Republocrats, Demopublicans, and Demicansand Demicans
Liberals and Conservatives in Liberals and Conservatives in CanadaCanada
Policy differences more for electoral gain? e.g. environment
The Ideological Spectrum The Ideological Spectrum The Rise of PragmatismThe Rise of Pragmatism
The Left -- The Left -- SocialistSocialist
The Right -- The Right -- ConservativeConservative
Tony Blair (Britain) New Labour
Bill Clinton (US) New Democrats
George W. Bush (US) Compassionate Conservatism
Parties and DemocracyParties and Democracy
Decline of ideological differences among parties might explain low voter turnout?
Single member plurality systems encourage pragmatic parties– better able to construct majorities
PR promotes ideological/interest parties– harder to construct majorities but good at
opposition function!
Party Systems...Party Systems...Consist of the interactions of parties with each
other and the overall political system influence manner in which parties perform their roles
Single Party(gov’t=party)
One-PartyDominant
Two-Party
Multi-Party
USMexicopre-2000
UKUSSR, Franco’sSpain, Egypt, China, Iraq
Italy, PortugalSweden, NorwayNetherlands
India
Two-PlusParty
Germany
But, ability of parties to aid But, ability of parties to aid democratic process democratic process
dependent on…dependent on…
Degree of Degree of CentralizationCentralization
Are internal procedures transparent? Do all party members participate?– procedures for choosing leader, candidate
selection, party policies
Iron law of oligarchy– all organizations eventually become dominated
by small group of leaders (elites)
Participation in Policy-MakingParticipation in Policy-Making
How democratic is the party internally?Role of parliamentary vs. extra-
parliamentary party
How Parties Finance How Parties Finance ThemselvesThemselves
How dependent are parties on well-financed interest groups?– recent limitations but how strong?
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