Abstract
This chapter discusses how well our understanding of political parties, based on the knowledge and models of political parties in established democracies, can help us to understand political parties in new democracies. Armed with concepts and models from the party literature, party scholars have tried to make sense of the vastly expanded universe of parties in the wake of the third wave of democratization. Are parties and party systems in newer democracies very different from parties in established democracies? And if so, are there commonalities between parties in newer democracies? This chapter revisits the debate on parties and democracy while discussing three related topics (typologies, functions, and contrasts of parties between old and new democracies) within the study of political parties to discuss the extent to which our understanding of political parties in established democracies is adequate when applied to new democracies.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Others, as, for example, Carbone (2003) argued that it was a de facto one-party system.
- 2.
- 3.
Accessed 09.12.2011.
- 4.
- 5.
Von Beyme’s (1985: 29–136) categories were (1) liberal and radical parties, (2) conservative parties, (3) socialist and social democratic parties, (4) Christian Democratic parties, (5) communist parties, (6) agrarian parties, (7) regional and ethnic parties, (8) right-wing extremist parties, and (9) ecology movement.
- 6.
‘Relevant’ in the sartorial sense of parties that may impact on government formation, either as a coalition partner or as a party that is able to exercise considerable influence (‘blackmail potential’) on party competition (Sartori 1976).
- 7.
Lack of membership in international party organizations could also reflect lack of interest or financial capacity to become members. SI has a list of 32 observer parties that have failed to pay their membership fee. However, there are also incentives for new parties to be included in the organization.
- 8.
Accessed 14.12.2011.
- 9.
See also (Colomer and Escatel 2005) who finds that most Latin American voters locate themselves on the left–right dimension, but that many voters are alienated from the party system, indicating a lack of a similar dimension among the parties.
- 10.
This is a subset of a more extensive set of functions discussed in (Dalton and Wattenberg 2002).
- 11.
As illustrated by the fallout from the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.
- 12.
See, for example (Rakner 2003).
- 13.
In general, Rakner and Skage find that democratic consolidation is more likely in states where liberation movements have overturned an internal authoritarian regime (Rakner and Skage 2011).
- 14.
This view is echoed by those who emphasize the problems of fundamental party change, see (Harmel and Janda 1994).
- 15.
Even after being ousted from power and barred from reentering politics, Thaksin’s party again succeeded in 2010—with his sister as the party leader.
- 16.
Malawi offers several examples of this. G. Chakwumba founded the Republican Party in 2004, and although he was the presidential candidate for an opposition alliance against the United Democratic Front (UDF), he immediately joined the UDF government when offered a cabinet post, against the preference of the parties’ MPs and in the process tried to de-register the party he had founded.
References
Aldrich, J. H. (1995). Why parties: The origin and transformation of party politics in America. London: University of Chicago Press.
Alvarez, R. M., Hall, T. E., & Hyde, S. D. (Eds.) (2008). Election fraud. Detecting and deterring electoral manipulation. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.
Ames, B., & Power, T. J. (2010). Parties and governability in Brazil. In P. Webb & S. White (Eds.), Party politics in new democracies (pp. 179–212). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Askvik, S., Jamil, I., & Dhakal, T. N. (2011). Citizens’ trust in public and political institutions in Nepal. International Political Science Review, 32(4), 396–416.
Bardi, L., Bressanelli, E., Calossi, E., Gagatek, W., Mair, P., & Pizzimenti, E. (2010). How to create a transnational party system. Bruxelles: European Parliament. Directorate-General for Internal Policies. Policy Department C: Citizens' rights and constitutional affairs.
Bertoa, F. C., & Mair, P. (2010). Two decades on: How institutionalized are the post-Communist party systems?. Florence: EUI. Department of political and social sciences.
Birch, S. (2011). Electoral malpractice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bogaards, M., Basedau, M., & Hartmann, C. (2010). Ethnic party bans in Africa. Democratization, 17(4), 599–617.
Bowler, S. (2002). Parties in legislature: Two competing explanations. In R. J. Dalton & M. P. Wattenberg (Eds.), Political parties without partisans. Political change in advanced industrial democracies (pp. 157–179). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Broder, D. S. (1972). The party’s over. The failure of politics in America. New York: Harper.
Budge, I., Klingemann, H. D., Volkens, A., Bara, J., & Tannenbaum, E. (Eds.). (2001). Mapping policy preferences. Estimates for parties, electors, and governments 1945–1998. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Carbone, G. (2003). Political parties in a no-party democracy: Hegemony and opposition under movement democracy in Uganda. Party Politics, 9(4), 485–502.
Carothers, T. (2002). The end of the transition paradigm. Journal of Democracy, 13(1), 5–21.
Carothers, T. (2006). Confronting the weakest link. Aiding political parties in new democracies. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Case, W. (2006). Manipulative skills: How do rulers control the electoral arena? In A. Schedler (Ed.), Electoral authoritarianism (pp. 95–112). Boulder: Lynne Rienner.
Colomer, J. M., & Escatel, L. E. (2005). The left-right dimension in Latin America. UPF Economics and Business Working Paper No. 813.
Commission Electoral Nationale Indépendante. (2011). http://www.ceni.gouv.cd/partipolitique.aspx?id_parti=498. Accessed on December 9, 2011.
Crotty, W. J., & Jacobson, G. C. (1980). American Parties in Decline. Boston, Ma.: Little, Brown and Co.
Daalder, H. (2002). Parties: Denied, dismissed, or redundant? A critique. In R. Gunther, J. R. Montero & J. J. Linz (Eds.), Political parties. Old concepts and new challenges (pp. 39–57). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dalton, R. J., & Wattenberg, M. P. (2002). Unthinkable democracy. Political change in advanced industrial democracies. In R. Dalton & M. Wattenberg (Eds.), Parties without partisans. Political change in advanced industrial democracies (pp. 3–18). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dalton, R. J., & Weldon, S. A. (2005). Public images of political parties. A necessary evil? West European Politics, 28(5), 931–951.
Dalton, R. J., Cain, B. E., & Scarrow, S. E. (2006). Democratic politics and democratic institutions. In B. E. Cain, R. J. Dalton, & S. E. Scarrow (Eds.), Democracy transformed? Expanding political opportunities in advanced industrial democracies (pp. 250–275). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dalton, R. J., McAllister, I., & Wattenberg, M. (2009). Political parties and their publics. In K. R. Luther & F. Muller-Rommel (Eds.), Political parties in the new Europe. Political and analytical challenges (pp. 19–42). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Declair, E. G. (1999). Politics on the fringe: The people, policies and organization of the French National Front. London: Duke University Press.
Diamond, L. (2000). Developing democracy in Africa: African and international imperatives. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 14(1), 191–213.
Diamond, L. (2008). The democratic rollback. Foreign Affairs, 87(2), 36–48.
Dressel, B. (2011). The Philippines: how much real democracy? International Political Science Review, 32(5), 529–546.
Duverger, M. (1967). Political parties. London: Methuen.
Everett Carll Ladd, J. (1978). Where have all the voters gone?. The fracturing of America’s political parties. New York: Norton.
Ferrara, F. (2011). Thailand: Minimally stable, minimally democratic. International Political Science Review, 32(5), 512–528.
Freidenberg, F., & Levitsky, S. (2006). Informal institutions and party organizations in Latin America. In G. Helmke & S. Levitsky (Eds.), Informal institutions and democracy. Lessons from Latin America (pp. 178–200). London: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Gunther, R., & Diamond, L. (2001). Types and functions of parties. In L. Diamond & R. Gunther (Eds.), Political parties and democracy (pp. 3–39). London: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Hale, H. E. (2007). Why no parties in Russia? Democracy, federalism, and the state. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Harmel, R., & Janda, K. (1994). An integrated theory of party goals and party change. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 6(3), 259–287.
Harmel, R., & Svåsand, L. (1993). Party leadership and party institutionalization: Three phases of development. West European Politics, 16(2), 69–83.
Hlousek, V., & Kopecek, L. (2010). Origin, ideology and transformation of political parties. East-Central and Western Europe compared. Fornham: Ashgate.
Huntington, S. P. (1991). The third wave. Democratization in the late twentieth century. London: University of Oklahoma Press.
Kasfir, N. (1999). “No-party democracy” in Uganda. In L. Diamond & M. F. Platter (Eds.), Democratization in Africa (pp. 201–215). London: Johns Hopkins Press.
Katz, R., & Mair, P. (1995). Changing models of party organization and party democracy: The emergence of the cartel party. Party Politics, 1(1), 5–28.
Key, V. O. (1964). Politics, parties and pressure groups. New York: Crowell.
Kiiza, J., Makara, S., & Rakner, L. (Eds.) (2008). Electoral democracy in Uganda. Understanding the institutional processes and outcomes of the 2006 multiparty elections. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.
King, A. (1969). Political parties in western democracies: Some sceptical reflections. Polity, 2(2), 111–141.
Kirchheimer, O. (1966). The transformation of the Western European party systems. In J. LaPalombara & M. Weiner (Eds.), Political parties and political development (pp. 177–200). Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Kitschelt, H., & Wilkinson, S. I. (2007). Citizen-politician linkages: An introduction. In H. Kitschelt & S. I. Wilkinson (Eds.), Patrons, client and policies. Patterns of democratic accountability and political competition (pp. 1–49). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kitschelt, H., Hawkins, K. A., Luna, J. P., Rosas, G., & Zechmeister, E. J. (2010). Latin American party systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Klingemann, H. D., Hofferbert, R. I., & Budge, I. (Eds.). (1994). Parties, policies, and democracy. Boulder: Westview Press.
Latinobarometro. (2011). 2011 Report. Santiago: Corporacion Latinobarometro.
Lewis, P. G. (2000). Political parties in post-communist Eastern Europe. London: Routledge.
Lipset, S. M. (2000). The indispensability of political parties. Journal of Democracy, 11(1), 48–55.
Logan, C. (2008). Rejecting the disloyal opposition? The trust gap in mass attitude toward ruling and opposition parties in Africa: Afrobarometer Working Papers 94, http://www.afrobarometer.org/abseries.html.
Magolowondo, A., & Svåsand, L. (2009). One man ownership: Political parties and their struggle for democratic standards. In M. Ott & F. E. Kanyongolo (Eds.), Democracy in progress. Malawi’s 2009 parliamentary and presidential elections (pp. 265–294). Blantyre: Kachere Books.
Mair, P. (1996). Party systems and structures of competition. In L. LeDuc, et al. (Eds.), Comparing democracies. Elections and voting in global perspective (pp. 83–106). London: Sage.
Mair, P., & Mudde, C. (1998). The party family and its study. Annual Review of Political Science, 1(1), 211–229.
Makara, S., Rakner, L., & Svåsand, L. (2009). Turnaround: The national resistance movement and the reintroduction of a multiparty system in Uganda. International Political Science Review, 30(2), 185–204.
Masket, S. E. (2009). No middle ground: How informal party organizations control nominations and polarize legislatures. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Mpesi, A. (2011). Political parties and their manifestos: Inferring party policy positions in Malawi since 1994. Forum for Development Studies, 38(1), 25–42.
Müller, W. C., & Strøm, K. (Eds.). (1999). Policy, office, or votes? How political parties in Western Europe make hard decisions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Orre, A. J. (2010). Entrenching the party-state in the multiparty era. Opposition parties, traditional authorities and new councils of local representation in Angola and Mozambique. Bergen: University of Bergen.
Panebianco, A. (1988). Political parties: Organization and power. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Peeler, J. (1998). Building democracy in Latin America. London: Lynne Rienner.
Poguntke, T., & Webb, P. (Eds.) (2006). The presidentialization of politics. A comparative study of modern democracies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Pop-Eleches, G. (2010). Throwing out the bums. Protest voting and unorthodox parties after Communism. World Politics, 62(2), 221–260.
Pridham, G. (2006). Assessing democratic consolidation in Central & Eastern Europe: The European dimension. Acta Politica, 41(4), 342–369.
Rakner, L. (2003). Political and economic liberalization in Zambia 1991–2001. Uppsala: Nordic Africa Institute.
Rakner, L., & Skage, I. A. (2011). The Legacy of Africa’s pro-democracy movements. Jinja, Uganda.
Rakner, L., & Svåsand, L. (2010). In search of the impact of international party assistance: Malawi and Zambia compared. Democratization, 17(6), 1250–1274.
Randall, V., & Svåsand, L. (2002). Party institutionalization in new democracies. Party Politics, 8(1), 5–29.
Reiter, H. L. (1989). Party decline in the West. A skeptic’s view. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 1(3), 325–348.
Rokkan, S. (1970). Nation-building, cleavage formation and the structuring of mass politics. In S. Rokkan (Ed.), Citizens, elections, parties: Approaches to the comparative study of processes of development (pp. 72–144). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
Rokkan, S. (1977). Towards a generalized concept of ‘Verzuiling’. Political Studies, 25(4), 563–570.
Rose, R., & Shin, D. C. (2001). Democratization backwards: The problem of third-wave democracies. British Journal of Political Science, 31(2), 331–354.
Rothstein, B., & Teorell, J. (2008). What is quality of government? A theory of impartial government institutions. Governance, 21(2), 165–190.
Sabato, L. J. (1988). The party’s just begun. Shaping political parties for America’s future. New York: Scotts, Foreman and Company.
Samuels, D. J., & Shugart, M. S. (2010). Presidents, parties and prime ministers. How the separation of powers affects party organization and behavior. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sartori, G. (1976). Parties and party systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Scarrow, H. A. (1967). The function of political parties: A critique of the literature and the approach. Journal of Politics, 29(4), 770–790.
Schedler, A. (2002a). The menu of manipulation. Journal of Democracy, 13(2), 36–50.
Schedler, A. (2002b). The nested game of democratization by elections. International Political Science Review, 23(1), 103–123.
Schmitter, P. C. (2001). Parties are not what they once where. In L. Diamond & R. Gunther (Eds.), Political parties and democracy (pp. 67–89). London: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Selle, P., & Svåsand, L. (1991). Membership in party organizations and the problem of decline of parties. Comparative Political Studies, 23(4), 459–477.
Sikk, A. (2005). How unstable? Volatility and the genuinely new parties in Eastern Europe. European Journal of Political Research, 44(3), 391–412.
Smith, G. (2009). Democratic innovations. Designing institutions for citizen participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Socialist International. (2011). http://socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticlePageID=931. Accessed on December 14, 2011.
Southall, R. (2001). Opposition in South Africa: Issues and problems. In R. Southall (Ed.), Opposition in South Africa (pp. 1–24). London: Frank Cass.
Strøm, K. (2000). Parties at the core of government. In R. J. Dalton & M. P. Wattenberg (Eds.), Parties without partisans. Political change in advanced industrial democracies (pp. 180–207). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Svåsand, L., & Wørlund, I. (2005). Partifremvekst og partioverlevelse: Fremskrittspartiet og Ny Demokrati. In M. Demker & L. Svåsand (Eds.), Partiernas århundrade (pp. 253–278). Stockholm: Santerus.
Szusterman, C. (2010). ‘Que se vayon todos!’. The struggle for democratic party politics in contemporary Argentina. In P. Webb & S. White (Eds.), Party politics in new democracies (pp. 213–242). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
van Biezen, I. (2005). On the theory and practice of party formation and adaptation in new democracies. European Journal of Political Research, 44(1), 147–174.
van Biezen, I., Mair, P., & Poguntke, T. (2012). Going, going… gone? The decline of party membership in contemporary Europe. European Journal of Political Research, 51(1), 24–56.
von Beyme, K. (1985). Political parties in western democracies. Aldershot: Gower.
Ware, A. (1996). Political parties and party systems. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wattenberg, M. P. (1984). The decline of American political parties, 1952–1988. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Webb, P. (1995). Are British political parties in decline? Party Politics, 1(3), 299–322.
Webb, P., & White, S. (2007). Political parties in new democracies. Trajectories of development and implications for democracy. In P. Webb & S. White (Eds.), Political parties in new democracies (pp. 345–370). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wyman, M., White, S., Miller, B., & Heywood, P. (1995). The place of ‘party’ in post-communist Europe. Party Politics, 1(4), 535–548.
Zeeuw, J. D., & Kumar, K. (Eds.) (2006). Promoting democracy in post-conflict societies. London: Lynne Rienner.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Svåsand, L. (2013). Party Development in the Old World: And in the New. In: Müller, W., Narud, H. (eds) Party Governance and Party Democracy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6588-1_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6588-1_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6587-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6588-1
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)