Authors: Lipset
Summary: In about 3700 words, this entry defines political parties, discusses the origins and development of parties in government, explores party organization, and considers whether political parties are on the decline.
According to the entry political parties are defined as organized groups seeking to get their members elected to office. The concept's roots are found in the middle ages, and derive from part, which indicated a division, opposition or cleavage in the political system. Originally, parties were viewed quite suspiciously, but by the twentieth century political parties became one of democracy's hallmarks. The entry summarizes early modern parties as well as the different party categories along the political spectrum.
The scholarly literature distinguishes among three aspects or characteristics of political parties: (1) the party as an organization of elected officials; (2) the party as an extraparliamentary organ whose main function is to win elections; and (3) the party as a collective of voting citizens. The entry provides detailed discussions addressing many prevalent issues, such as the development of legislative parties, representative democracy, factionalism, accountability, party membership, party identification and the rise of new political parties. Also included are myriad examples for each of the three party facets.
The entry's final section considers whether political parties are on the decline. Systemic and structural sociopolitical changes present contemporary parties with many new challenges. For example, through the growth of media and other technological changes, voters now have independent access to information which previously was furnished by political parties. Political attitudes and voting behaviors have also changed, making voters less susceptible to membership offerings and incentives. No less central is the fact that politics appears to have become more candidate-oriented and less party-focused.