The Party Evolution Model: An Integrated Approach to Party Organisation and Political Communication

Abstract

Existing party organisation and political communication theories approach the issue of party behaviour from different and highly opposing angles. This article explores the potential for theoretical synthesis between party organisation and political communication and marketing approaches, focusing particularly on the role of internal party mechanisms during election periods. After providing a brief account of the deficiencies of the existing political communication and marketing models, the article outlines a coherent integrated model for party organisation and political communication. The ‘Party Evolution Model’ goes beyond the existing theories of party organisation and communication in an attempt to fill in the gap between the two approaches.