Parties, policies, and democracy

by Hans-Dieter Klingemann

In democracies, contemporary politics is party politics, and parties serve to organize the political process even as they ensure democratic representation of minority and majority policy preferences. As this ambitious survey shows, parties translate policy preferences into policy priorities by articulating and enacting clearly defined party platforms. This international author teams rigorous comparative analysis of forty years' experience across ten countries demonstrates that political parties in contemporary democracies work better than critics have claimed. This is important news for emerging democracies just now establishing institutions and policies to watch over the next forty-year period.