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Impact of political parties in democracy
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Introduction
Many political pundits accept that political parties are necessary ingredients of democratic governance. Within this framework, many scholars agree that political parties are the principal agents of democratic consolidation because they are the key players shaping democracy’s emergence (Pridham, 1990: 29). Similarly, “party system institutionalization has been widely viewed as a requisite for the consolidation of democracy” (Kuenzi and Lambright, 2005: 423). However, scholars disagree on the effects of different party system characteristics on democracy. For example, some scholars contend that multiparty system increase the quality of democracy in a country by enhancing the representation of different groups, and by increasing the choices before voters. On the other side, some scholars argue that multiparty system undermine governmental
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To some scholars, economic development is crucial determinant of PSI in emerging democracies. Low economic growth in new democracies can hinder the success of the party in power, which in turn, could exacerbate instability and electoral volatility, as other parties and voters hold incumbents responsible for the current economic crisis. On the other hand, some scholars argue that the institutional framework under which a party system develops can either promote or hinder development. These scholars argue that proportional representation system strengthen the party system more than majoritarian systems do. Proportional representation systems reinforce parties, party leaders distribute party tickets and parties have control over whose name appears on the party list. Croissant and Volkel (2012) highlighted that party systems with proportional representation strengthen parties and voters, and are more conducive to
Every individual can stand for a race, gender, income, education, age, or a combination of countless categories. Another criticism of Pomper is the complication of “critical elections” and “temporary peculiarities.” Pomper defines a critical election as “not usually part of (these) stable periods, but serve as breaking points, ending one era and leading to the next” (Pomper 547). A “temporary peculiarity” marks surprising changes in party electorate, but does not mark the end of one era and the beginning of another. This makes elections hard to accurately classify until after the long-term effects have been realized.
There are two ways to get rid of the causes of factions, or political parties. The first way of removing these causes is to destroy the liberty essential to their existence. The second way to get rid of the causes is to give everyone the exact same o...
Though he is aware that these parties are likely to grow, he advises that “wise people” (Washington, 1796) will discourage it. He cautions that in promoting political parties the danger arises of one party seeking the upper hand and that it ignites animosity at the expense of the public.
The journey to democracy has been strongly driven by electoral systems. These systems provide routes for governments to represent the will of their people. It provides the platform of legitimacy to the government and in most cases ensures freedom and order within a country. This essay will discuss the major differences between a majoritarian electoral system and a proportional electoral system. In addition, it will demonstrate that the use of a majoritarian electoral system in a country would result in a more accountable and representative government.
Karp, Jeffrey A., and Susan A. Banducci. " Political Efficacy and Participation in Twenty-Seven Democracies: How Electoral Systems Shape Political Behaviour." British Journal of Political Science 38 (2008): 311-334. Cambridge Journals. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.
The breakdown of the second party system was also a reason for the outbreak of the Civil War. In the early 1850’s the Whig party disintegrated, the second party system collapsed and the Republican Party emerged to challenge the Democrats. Southern Revisionists have argued that the collapse of the Union had been preceded by the collapse of the 2nd party system and that the Whig disappeared only to re-emerge as the new Republican party in 1854 supported by nativist Know-Nothing votes. They have also argued that politicians created this tension on purpose to advance their careers, but by doing so they made the 2nd party system collapse. However recent historians, such as Hugh Tulloch, contradict this view by arguing that there is no one single
Moser, R. G., & Scheiner, E. (2004). Mixed electoral systems and electoral system effects: Controlled comparison and cross-national analysis. Electoral Studies, 23(4), 575-599.
When looking at and understanding the historical aspect of the party systems, it is important to note that there are some number of definitions of party systems. To some degree, a party system simply can be defined as the competition between parties in the political realm in efforts to gain the support for their give...
Factions pose a threat to democracy and its associated ideals. This notion is proven through the overpowering of the minority by the majority, in which the opinions of certain groups are silenced, while others amplified. This majority and minority also forge animosity that not only creates competition, but sways the government away from its true purpose. Therefore, since the purpose of government is swayed, leadership becomes an issue. These issues are part of a cluster of other issues that prove factions detrimental to democracy and its principles.
The founding fathers based this country on freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, press, assembly, petition. Freedom to have your own opinion about the founding fathers. Freedom to have your own opinion on how our government should run. So with this much freedom, it's obvious someone's going to disagree. And that's where political parties come in. The Federalists versus the Anti-Federalists, a 210-year battle which still carries on today with the Democrats and Republicans. These first parties were very different, and each had their own view on how our country would be run, and how it would end up.
The Political Parties Model in which politicians diverge ideologically to provide a cue of party affiliation, allowing voters to vote rationally using their habit of party identification. The Political Parties Model suggests that party labels clarify the political choices available to voters.
Local third parties are present and sharp ethnic fragmentations generate smaller parties which can be seen outside the three nations that have received most focus as exceptions of Duverger’s predictions. Results from studies carried out to show that pure plurality rule results in two-party systems showed that the estimated number of candidates receiving votes in a plurality district measured from 2.20 within a 1.5 to 2.5 range, in which Duverger sees as a two-party system (Singer, 2001, P212-213). What we also see is in district level contests in an average country the lead contestant garners around fifty-six percent while second place receives roughly thirty-six with the third party getting roughly five percent (Singer, 2001,
According to Lipset and Rokkan, modern party systems are defined by historical conflicts and the lasting identities created by the interaction of these conflicts and social institutions that can explain national
In democratic theory, the congruence between voters’ opinions and representatives’ actions is sometimes considered a pre-requisite for a well-functioning democracy. Often referred to as issue congruence, it entails “any means by which the political leaders act in accordance with the wants, needs, and demands of the public in making policy” (Luttbeg, 1968). It is a deciding characteristic of the quality of parliamentary democracies, receiving special attention in the literature (Blais & Bodet, 2006; Golder et al., 2010; Powell, 2004). The role of parties in this process is key as they organize representation and substantially influence policy outputs (Dalton, Farrell, & McAllister, 2011). For establishing the way in which issue congruence between representatives and voters is achieved, the party mandate model (APSA, 1950; Ranney, 1951; Thomassen, 1994) has constituted the main framework of analysis.
Certainly electoral systems impact on party systems and party behaviour. The main ways in which electoral systems impact on party systems and on party behaviour is by having a significant impact on the degree of multipartism in a country. Electoral systems also impact on party systems and party behaviour as electoral systems have led to a catch-all thesis emerging in party systems and to a change in party alignments. The manner in which electoral systems affect party systems and party behaviour in relation to the mechanical effect and the psychological effect will also be examined. This essay shall examine in detail the main ways in which electoral systems impact on party systems and party behaviour.