Political Parties

Throughout the 20th century, political parties have been counted among the most important political institutions; liberal-democratic political systems are inconceivable without parties. Parties aggregate social interests and represent those interests in the political arena. On the one hand, they contribute to the articulation of contested interests and social problems [Page 605]arising from underlying social and cultural structures. On the other hand, they force the advocates of various interests and aims to cooperate and package their demands. With the politicalization of the masses, the formation of coalitions between social groupings and elites, and the emergence of centrally controlled political apparatuses, parties have increasingly become an object of social science research.

Following Sorauf, the party literature approaches parties in varying ways, for example, “parties as organizations,” “parties in ...