The Politics of Power
10
The Politics of Power: a Life
History of the Party System
This chapter is the ®rst of two on political parties. Although unknown to the constitution, parties dominate the real world of politics; they are symbols of the modern age. The ®rst section examines the concept of the modern mass party.
Parties in a democracy should not be seen in isolation; it is in their essential nature to be linked through competition and cooperation. The following sections identify a series of key periods in the evolution of the party system, concluding with an evaluation of British two-party politics.
De®ning parties
Any political movement can describe itself as a party, but in a democracy political parties are essentially associations with a common set of beliefs and goals, and aiming to take of®ce by constitutional means. Some commentators see the quest for of®ce overriding all else, portraying parties as vote-maximizing machines (analogous to pro®t-maximizing ®rms) prepared to pursue any policy that commands support (Downs 1957: ch. 7). While much behaviour bears this out, parties usually re¯ect ideologies to some extent, though over time they may pick and choose from the ideological cafeteria in the quest for support (see pp. 23±5).
The modern mass party The major British parties are large associations essentially comprising three elements: a parliamentary cadre of elected MPs, a bureaucracy and a large extra-parliamentary army in constituency associations. These mass parties evolved as a direct result of extensions to the franchise. 278
Mobilizing the Demos
No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition.
Benjamin Disraeli,
Coningsby (1844: book II, ch. 1)
Functions of parties Parties play multifarious roles in political life. Elections are their great celebrations; they energize campaigns, feed the media and mobilize voters. In addition, they organize the life of Parliament; without them the Palace of Westminster
The Politics of Power: a Life
History of the Party System
This chapter is the ®rst of two on political parties. Although unknown to the constitution, parties dominate the real world of politics; they are symbols of the modern age. The ®rst section examines the concept of the modern mass party.
Parties in a democracy should not be seen in isolation; it is in their essential nature to be linked through competition and cooperation. The following sections identify a series of key periods in the evolution of the party system, concluding with an evaluation of British two-party politics.
De®ning parties
Any political movement can describe itself as a party, but in a democracy political parties are essentially associations with a common set of beliefs and goals, and aiming to take of®ce by constitutional means. Some commentators see the quest for of®ce overriding all else, portraying parties as vote-maximizing machines (analogous to pro®t-maximizing ®rms) prepared to pursue any policy that commands support (Downs 1957: ch. 7). While much behaviour bears this out, parties usually re¯ect ideologies to some extent, though over time they may pick and choose from the ideological cafeteria in the quest for support (see pp. 23±5).
The modern mass party The major British parties are large associations essentially comprising three elements: a parliamentary cadre of elected MPs, a bureaucracy and a large extra-parliamentary army in constituency associations. These mass parties evolved as a direct result of extensions to the franchise. 278
Mobilizing the Demos
No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition.
Benjamin Disraeli,
Coningsby (1844: book II, ch. 1)
Functions of parties Parties play multifarious roles in political life. Elections are their great celebrations; they energize campaigns, feed the media and mobilize voters. In addition, they organize the life of Parliament; without them the Palace of Westminster