Party decline in America

by John J. Coleman

As the influence of political parties diminished in postwar America, scholars argued about whether their decline was caused by transformations in voter behavior, new styles of campaigning, or trust-shattering events such as Vietnam and Watergate. To some of these writers, parties were the relics of a technologically less sophisticated era. Today, however, many experts believe that these institutions have an inevitable tendency to adapt and survive. John Coleman thinks the reality is more complicated than this. In his view neither party decline nor adaptation is inevitable. His state-centered approach shows that the condition of political parties depends critically on the state's major policy concerns and on its institutional policy-making structure.