Intra-party Democracy

Abstract

Party leaders are the forefront holders of public office and a critical factor for understanding why voters vote for a party (Bittner, A., Platform or personality? The role of party leaders in elections. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011). In this chapter, I tackle the major features of the organizational structure of political parties that have been operating at the regional scale of politics. I account for intra-party dynamics regarding the parties vertical organization; the leadership selection’ procedures governing each party, and the tenure in office displayed by each party leader across the three regional contexts.