| Popis: |
Political parties are so pervasive in modern society and central in modern politics that we can hardly think about any democracy without them. They did not arrive on the political scene till the late 17th century. It was in England that the first political parties came into form. Then, political parties were transplanted in other polities. They play a crucial role in making a bridge between state and society. They persist because they fulfil multiple important functions: 1) articulation and aggregation of interests, 2) publicization of interests, 3) supply of leadership, 4) policymaking, 5) political education, and 6) insurance of polity. The two schools of thought present the thesis of political parties in decline. One argues that now the prototype is a cartel party, which can afford to be indifferent to long-standing societal interests. To seek office, it will woo votes during elections by selling a set of ad hoc policies. A plural number of parties collude among themselves to divide the spoils. Another raises the hypothesis of the presidentialisation of all polities with powerful leadership. Whatever may come, it is very unlikely that political parties will disappear on our lifetime, subject to the dynamics of ever-changing political and social variables. |
