Political parties and democracy

Abstract

For a variety of reasons, including changes in the character of democracy as well as changes at the level of the parties themselves as well as at the level of the wider society, contemporary parties find themselves less and less able to function as representative agencies. The age of the mass party has passed, and, at least in any foreseeable future, it is unlikely to be recoverable. At the same time, however, parties do play an important, and perhaps even increasingly important, role in the management of democracy. Hence, while their representative role may be declining, their procedural role remains as essential as ever. To put it another way, while party organizations may be failing, parties as such are not. One way in which parties might therefore assure themselves of a future can be by facing up to and accepting their changed circumstances, and by seeking to emphasize their legitimacy as guarantors of a form of democracy which is inclusive, transparent, and accountable.