Types of parties
A variety of classifications have been used for political parties. The most important of these are the following: • cadre and mass parties • representative and integrative parties • constitutional and revolutionary parties • left-wing and right-wing parties. The most common distinction is that between cadre parties and The term cadre party originally meant a 'party of notables, dominated by an informal group of leaders who saw little point in building up a mass organisation. Such parties invariably developed out of parliamentary factions or cliques at a time when the franchise was limited. However, the term cadre is now more commonly used to 7 ■ 5202 denote trained and professional party members who are expected to exhibit a high level of political commitment and doctrinal discipline. The distinguishing feature of cadre parties is their reliance on a politically active elite (usually subject to quasi-military discipline) which is capable of offering ideological leadership to the masses. A mass party, on the other hand, places a heavy emphasis on broadening membership and constructing a wide electoral base. The key feature of such parties is that they place heavier stress on recruitment and organisation than on ideology and political conviction. Most modern parties fall into the category of what Otto Kirchheimer (1966) termed 'catch-all parties'. These are parties that drastically reduce their ideological baggage in order to appeal to the largest possible number of voters. The second party distinction is that between so-called parties of representation and parties of integration. Representative parties see their primary function as being the securing of votes in elections. They thus attempt to reflect, rather than shape, public opinion. In this respect, representative parties adopt a 'catch-all' strategy and therefore place pragmatism before principle and market research before popular mobilisation. The prevalence of such parties in modem politics gave considerable force to arguments based on rational choice models of political behaviour which portray politicians as power-seeking creatures who are willing to adopt whatever policies are likely to bring them electoral success. Parties of integration, in contrast, adopt pro-active, rather than reactive, political strategies; they wish to mobilise, educate and inspire the masses, rather than merely respond to their concerns. The third type of classification distinguishes between constitutional parties and revolutionary parties. Constitutional parties acknowledge the rights and entitlements of other parties and thus operate within a framework of rules and constraints. Above all, constitutional parties acknowledge and respect the rules of electoral competition. They recognise that they can be voted out of power as easily as they can be voted into it. Mainstream parties in liberal democracies all have such a constitutional character. Revolutionary parties, on the other hand, are anti-system or anticonstitutional parties, either of the left or of the right. Such parties aim to seize power and overthrow the existing constitutional structure using tactics that range from outright insurrection and popular revolution to the quasi-legalism practised by the Nazis and the Fascists. The final way of distinguishing between parties is on the basis of ideological orientation, specifically between those parties labeled left-wing and those labeled right-wing. Parties seen as part of 'the Left' (progressive, socialist and communist parties) are characterised by a commitment to change, in the form of either social reform or wholesale economic transformation. These have traditionally drawn their support from the ranks of the poor and disadvantaged (in urban societies, the working classes). Parties thought to constitute 'the Right' (conservative and fascist parties in particular) generally uphold die existing social order and are, in that sense, a force for continuity. Their supporters usually include business interests and the materially contented middle classes. However, this notion of a neat left-right party divide is at best simplistic and at worst deeply misleading. Not only are both the left and the right often divided along reformist/revolutionary and constitutional/insurrectionary lines, but also all parties tend to be 'broad churches' in the sense that they encompass their own left and right wings. Finally, the shift away from old class polarities and the emergence of new political issues such as environment, animal rights and feminism has perhaps rendered the conventional ideas of left and right redundant. AFTER-READING activity ♦ Read the text in more depth to do the 'After-reading' exercises. Ух. 1. Comprehension check 1 Give the definition and four characteristics of a political party..' What is the distinction between: • cadre and mass parties; • representative and integrative parties; • constitutional and revolutionary parties; • left-wing and right-wing parties? i In what way can all mainstream parties be called 'broad churches'? Kx. 2. Terminology V Learn the terminology: faction фракция factionalism фракционализм
«рациональный выбор» политика партийных «боссов» коллегия выборщиков "кокус», фракционное совещание, конференция В. Match the notions with the definitions: •... is an approach to politics based on the assumption that individuals are rationally self-interested actors; an 'economic' theory of politics. •,,. is commonly used to mean a section or a group within a •. is a style of politics in which party 'bosses' control a.mass organisation through patronage and the distribution of favours. •... refers either to the proliferation of factions or to the bitterness of factional rivalry. The term is always pejorative, implying debilitating infighting. •... is a meeting of party members held to nominate election candidate or to discuss legislative proposals in advance of formal proceedings. •... is an indirect electoral mechanism; a body of electors charged with responsibility for filling a party or public office. • Work with the dictionary and consult the text to do ex. 3, 4
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