Chapter 6: Political Parties as a Political Institute of Society

Chapter 6: Political Parties as a Political Institute of Society

Plan

1.          Political party’s nature and its functions.

2.          Political parties’ genesis. Types of political parties.

3.          Political parties’ institutionalization and party system.

The term “party” has Latin origin and means “part, share”. Parties, as all social organizations, have three main features: Solidarity, which is based on apprehension of collective affiliation to one association; common aim; consensus in means and methods to achieve this aim.

Parties unlike the other public associations are oriented on struggle for conquering and utilization of state power. Political parties are characterizes by organizational structure (which is accounted in statute), membership, inner-party relations, and party-political leadership, program and statute existence.

As a subject of political process party has some functions: social interests aggregation – one of the main political task is to transform many interests of citizens and social groups in the general or common political interest; social interests representation. In the theory, the party’s aim is represent in the political system social groups, sections of the population, class interests, but in reality interests of one group may represent by some parties or party may represent various groups and stratums; political socialization of citizens: socio-political education, consolidation citizens on the base of their common interests, these interests reflect in ideology and program, making of political doctrine more précising, increasing social base of party politics; organization of struggle for the state power, its forms, means and methods; preparation and participation in elections to supreme and local organs of power; forming of parliamentary faction; elaboration of principles and forms of relations with the other political parties; party, which lost the elections, has main function to create parliamentary opposition.

Political party is like-minded people’s organization, which represents citizens’, social groups’ and class’ interests and has at the aim conquering of the state power or participation in it.

Party formation has to go through some definite periods. First stage is a stage of counteraction, opposition, confrontation, suppression and struggle against other parties. This was the period of absolute states existence by the end of XVIIIth century, which was characterized by stable state’s opposition to any political group. The second stage was the stage of ignorance, when states had been ensured formal conditions for political initiative if it didn’t break public law and order. It lasted from the end of XVIIIth century until 70s of XIXth century. At that period political parties were elitist, reserved political groups of economic dominative social stratums. They had no stable local organizations, regular congresses and conferences, party discipline. From the end of 70s of XIXth century on the leading West-European countries traditional elitist groups replaced “mass parties” because states proclaimed universal suffrage. Third stage was the stage of recognition and legalization of political parties (attaching to legal party status). It was the period of the development of modern democratic states where parties became mediators between civil society and state.

Articles devoted to parties emerged in state Constitutions only in XXth century.

There are many political parties’ classifications. First, is connected with social character of the political party (whose interests they are reflected). According to this classification, political parties can be: working, bourgeois, and peasant. Sometime national parties too. Second, depends on “ideological face” of the party: ideological and political (their activity is based on ideology), pragmatic or elective parties that use actual elective slogans, charismatic, which unite their members around very popular leader. Third, divides parties on representative and mobilize.  

Representative	Mobilize
May to change party policy according to views of its members	Orient their policy on changing people’s consciousness of lay particular stress on propaganda and prevention of counterpropaganda

Forth classification is depended on the place of party in power system. They can be legal and illegal.

Legal	Illegal
Party activity is legitimate	Activity is suppressed by the law

Fifth. According to the organizational structure there are two types of parties: mass and personnel.

Mass	Personnel
Include a lot of members; the main financing source is party membership dues; party members have close and permanent relations; ideological activity is playing the great role; professional politicians realize leadership.	Have permanent membership; have no party member dues; party membership is limited; the main activity realized during elections.

Sixth. According to the inner-party relations, the party attitude to society, to the elements f political life, parties are dividing on democratic and totalitarian.

Democratic	Totalitarian
Are completed with other parties; representative; aspirate to count various views in order to draw many followers; submit their activity to the constitutional norms; inner-party life is characterized by wide pluralism, faction existence etc.	Have another name – monopolistic, because they have at the aim to eliminate other parties. When this party has the state power – it aspire to submit all classes and stratums’ interests. Law is at the service of the party aims. Inner-party life is characterized by strict centralism, discipline and the faction absence.

We can classify party using some different classifications. For example, party may be mass, charismatic and ideological.

Institutionalization is a process by means of which these organizations acquire value and stability. Institutionalization process has some main tendencies: structure and activity defining; functions formulating; selecting and passing of party candidates; participation in elections; financial party activity.

Process of political party organizing is different in various countries. We could divide them on three groups. First group has no definite order of party formation. It is enough for party to proclaim itself. Great Britain and New Zealand are in this group. Second group has special legislative procedure. Any organization becomes party only after presentation to competent organs special documentation (programme, statute, data about ruling stuff). In this group are Germany, Austria and other countries. Third group has obligatory order of registration political party’s activity in state bodies. In Spain, Italy, France political parties are registrated in the Ministry of Internal Affairs; in Belgium and the Netherlands – in Ministry of Justice. In many countries parties are registrated by bodies, which are formed to elections (India, Mexico, Sweden). There are some countries, where parties are registrated by Supreme Court (Portugal), and Supreme elective Court (Brazil).

Formal demands to political party: name; emblem; program; statute.

As a rule, legislation demands that party must be democratic organization. If political party in its programme had violent slogans, its activity threatened state’s sovereignty or territorial (or national) integrity, human rights and freedoms, directed on fomentation of racial, national and religious antagonism in this case state can forcedly slit this party. Such order (through the court decision) have many countries: Germany, France, Portugal and others.

Political parties that acted in programme and statute’s frames and are fighting for state authority – are forming political system. Political system is a very important link of political system. We have lots of political system. Political scientists divided them on one-party system (or so-called “multi-party system”). Many Eastern European countries had such type of political system. Experience showed that one-party system is not stable because it does not guarantee harmonic combination direct and indirect contacts between citizens and political elite, and put obstacles in the way of power division.

 Multi-party system – is a result of long period of political parties’ development. This type of party system is a necessary state of democratic society. It helps to overcome one-party monopoly for power and gives the possibility to form in people alternative thinking and activity.

Two-party system – in many countries is a very stable system. This type of party system exists in the USA. Differences in party programmes are not very big so it is determine stability of this system. Three-party system – is a system when two parties are main and the third plays the role of ally for one of two main parties. For example, in Germany Christian-Democratic Party and Social-Democratic Party are the main parties and Party of Free Democrates supports Christian-Democrates or Social-Democrates.

Four-party system – was formed in those countries where society is splited on two camps right and left. In France Communists and Socialists – are representatives of the left camp. Democrates and Republicans – are the right camp. This system gives the population to have stable political sympathies.