What holds a democracy together – political parties, or the party system itself?
Casal Bértoa, F.
(19 October 2016)
What holds a democracy together – political parties, or the party system itself?
Democratic Audit Blog.
Political parties and party systems are generally regarded as essential in a democracy. But is it the health of the parties themselves that is vital, or a strong party system? Fernando Casal Bértoa looks at the relationship between the institutionalisation of parties and party systems in 64 European regimes since 1848. He concludes that the health of the system itself is the crucial element – a finding with major implications for democracy promotion.
