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?