Decline Political Parties

Nowadays, the functioning of political parties in advanced democracy is object of severe criticism. The public image of political parties is negative, an impressive body of empirical data reports a huge decrease in popular confidence in many of the traditional institutions of representative democracy, especially political parties. Evidences relate to a general decline in voter turnout in elections; to the shrinking membership rates in most major political parties. These empirical data are combined with a growing skepticism about the declining esteem for politicians and political parties. Furthermore, these trends are often concomitant with claims for political reforms aimed to involve citizens and interest groups into politics by new ways,

The organizational change went toward a direction where the linkage with grass roots is less important. Adopting the functioning perspective suggested by Müller and Strøm (1999) political parties aiming to seek votes, offices and then policies, had to redefine their mobilitative choices adapting them to the electoral context. This means that in order to gain support by the so-called the median voter (May 1973) political parties tried to lighten their ideological dimension, which structured their connection with supporters, turning towards a catch-all approach. As a result, parties diminished their presence on the ground. Furthermore, as suggested by the cartel party theory, the increasing costs of election campaign, pollster and consultant redefine parties' priorities, producing a monopolization of campaign funding and government position in order to strengthen their own position (Katz and Mair 2009; 2002; 1996; 1995; 1992). Therefore, party organizations seem to be developed in their public office dimension rather than on the ground, with severe consequences on the relationship with their grass roots, no longer supported by belonging feelings and political

Literature on party internal democracy dealt with this issue pointing out how political parties organizations are facing the weakening of their linkage with supporters and members (Hopkin 2001; Kittilson and Scarrow 2003; Scarrow 2000; Sandri and Pauwels 2010; Sandri, Pauwels and van Haute 2011). Reforms on candidate and leader selection rules in particular have expanded access within political parties, adopting new rules of inclusion and decision-making, primary elections are indeed becoming increasingly spread within western democracies. What is interesting, actually, is that even more often political parties are choosing to adopt the highest level of inclusiveness, by allowing to participate to crucial party decisions both party members and supporters. The extent of these changes may potentially redefine the linkage between citizens and political parties. The change of formal rule is not trivial, rather it suggests a deep renovation that could not affect the actual participation in parties or elections as certainly offers new opportunities of participation. Clearly, the rationale behind such reforms relates to the attempt to improve the party's public image, promoting a new inclusive methods to