05 Parties and party systems

Definition: Organizations aiming to win government power and typically demonstrate ideological cohesion.
Etymology: From Latin "pars/partis" meaning "part" or "faction".
Historical Examples:
- Ancient Rome: Optimates vs. Populares
- British Parliament: Tories vs. Whigs; Conservative vs. Liberal/Labour
- French Revolution: Jacobins, Cordeliers, Girondins, and others
- US Congress: Federalists, Democratic-Republicans; Democratic vs. Whig/Republican
Features of Modern Parties:
- Voluntary membership
- Structured administrative organization
- Interaction between candidates and voters
- Goal of gaining power to implement policies

Representation: Voicing the values and interests of social groups.
Elite Formation: Recruiting and promoting candidates and appointees.
Goal Formulation: Creating policies, contesting elections, and suggesting alternatives.
Political Socialization: Educating the electorate about political processes.
Communication Facilitation: Coordinating policies within decision-making entities.
Oversight: Monitoring the use of political power.
Legitimization: Establishing the validity of government actions.
Mobilization: Activating public participation in the political process.
Shaping International Relations: Influencing foreign policy and global cooperation.

Classifications:
- Cadre Parties
- Mass Parties
- Catch-All Parties
- Representative vs. Integrative Parties
- Constitutional vs. Revolutionary Parties
- Left-Wing vs. Right-Wing Parties
- Mainstream vs. Populist, Radical, Niche Parties

Cadre Parties:
- Early forms were informal groups of notables; later transitioned to structured organizations.
- Predominantly liberal and conservative.
Mass Parties:
- Strong organizational structure aiming for broad membership through emotional and ideological ties.
- Typically associated with socialist and agrarian movements.
Catch-All Parties:
- Emerged post-WWII focusing on diverse social groups and the median voter.
- Increase of votes as a primary objective, often with weaker ideological stances.

Aspect Mass Party Catch-All Party
Objective	Increase party membership	Increase of votes
Organisation	Strong	Weak
Partisan Base	Class/denomination	All social groups
Connection with Voters	Strong	Weak
Campaign	Party organisation	Mass communication
Type of Alignment	Ideology/Identity	Issue-voting
Electoral Market	Closed	Open

Traditionally strong organizations especially in Europe, often led by a small group (iron law of oligarchy).
Features include party bureaucracy, loyalty mechanisms, and varied structures.
In the USA, parties exhibit more participatory features, less control over candidates, and weaker loyalty structures.
Structure includes members, branches, and factions, and can rely on public/private funding.

Representative vs. Integrative:
- Representative: Aims to secure votes; reflects public opinion.
- Integrative: Proactively mobilizes and educates the public.
Constitutional vs. Revolutionary:
- Constitutional: Works within the current political system.
- Revolutionary: Seeks to challenge and change the system.
Mainstream vs. Alternative:
- Mainstream parties support the status quo, while radical/populist parties challenge it.

Categories:
- Left: Communists, Socialists, Greens.
- Centre: Liberals, Agrarians.
- Right: Conservatives, Christian Democrats.
- Non-classical Parties: Include single-issue and other niche parties.

Decline in party representation and support; mass parties face criticism and loss of membership.
Establishment parties are seen as disconnected from the electorate, paving the way for anti-establishment movements.
Emergence of social movements that supplement or replace traditional political parties, driven by collective aspirations.

Influenced by numerous factors including electoral systems, cultural traditions, and social structures.
Types of party systems are categorized by competitiveness and number of parties:
- Non-Competitive: One-party and hegemonic systems.
- Competitive: Two-party, moderate pluralism, and polarised pluralism systems.