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Political Parties

Explore the dynamics between political parties and interest groups, their role in aggregating and representing interests, ideological divisions, the rise of pragmatism, and the impact on democracy.

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Political Parties

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  1. Political Parties Interest Aggregation Interest Representation March 30th, 2004

  2. Political Parties vs. Interest Groups • interest groups strive to influence political outcomes • political parties strive to become the governing party • both represent political interests • political parties also aggregate interests • in doing so, political parties act to filter of interests

  3. Type of Political Parties • basis of organization • electoral-professional parties vs. mass parties • basis of electoral competition • pragmatic parties (brokerage parties) • ideological-programmatic parties • interest parties

  4. Ideological/Programmatic Parties • organized around social cleavages • class • religion • ethnicity • region • traditional conceptions of ideology • left vs. right

  5. The Ideological Spectrum The Left -- Socialist The Right -- Conservative Less Gov’t More Gov’t • greater reliance on the market • fewer government regulations • no special treatment for special interest groups • lower taxes • government regulation of the economy • policies to help disadvantaged groups • policies to redistribute income

  6. General Trends -- Political Parties • the rise of pragmatism

  7. The Ideological Spectrum The Rise of Pragmatism The Left -- Socialist The Right -- Conservative Tony Blair (Britain) New Labour Bill Clinton (US) New Democrats George W. Bush (US) Compassionate Conservatism

  8. General Trends -- Political Parties • single member plurality systems encourage pragmatic parties; PR promotes ideological/interest parties • the rise of pragmatism • parties increasingly competing to occupy the centre of the political spectrum • reasons? • success of pragmatic parties has been self-reinforcing • the fall of communism • affluence of western industrialized societies

  9. Political Parties & Democracy • mass parties vs. electoral-professional parties • mass parties encourage greater participation in politics by the public • majoritarian democrats • electoral-professional parties • elite democrats

  10. Political Parties & Democracy • ideological/interest parties vs. pragmatic parties • ideological/interest parties • gives clear electoral choices • help make elections meaningful • encourages greater mass participation • majoritarian democrats • pragmatic parties • depend on party elites (to broker deals among various interests) • elections • differences between parties are limited • electoral choice is really about best management team • elite democrats

  11. Political Parties & Democracy • liberal democrats • crucial point is that individuals remain free to form political parties (and contest elections) free from state interference

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