Political Party System Research Articles

The Emergence of Leadership among the OBCs in the North Telangana- Nizamabad, Nirmal and Karimnagar Districts

ABSTRACT: The Indian Caste system is wide and varied. Hindus who form the largest majority in the country have always been mobilized on the caste basis, although the constitutional system explicitly discourages the practice of caste and creed, the political party system has been dominated by caste politics of various kinds. Caste has been able to develop a new form of political activity i.e. Caste sabha/Sangham – Caste association, which was primarily visible in the mid-nineteenth century. After independence, it became apparent that they would play a pivotal role in Indian politics. Political Leadership represents one of the most important forms of leadership. Social evolution and the sociological changes in society have brought many changes in the concept of political leadership. It is a very important concept that brings in political processes and outcomes. Political Mobilization and leadership have a crucial role to play in working towards achieving the required goals for OBCs in India. These are the two important concepts that involve coordination among individuals and organizing them to make a collective influence and bring about socio-political changes. OBC community in Telangana needs to work towards the attainment of political mobilization and in turn, develop good leadership who can take forward the community towards the attainment of set goals. The leadership needs to emerge out of the mobilization with the strong support of the common man. Telangana needs to see such a movement which can mobilise and strengthen the leadership towards the development of the OBC community.

The end of the ‘Iberian exception’: religion and the new Spanish far right in the European Parliament

ABSTRACT This contribution analyses the role of religion in the attitudes, beliefs, and discourses of Spanish members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The aim is to show how MEPs relate to religion in their activity, against the background of the transformations experienced by the Spanish political party system in the last decade. One of the most important changes has been the emergence of Vox, a far-right political group, in 2018. The contribution discusses the main results of the Religion in the European Parliament and in European multilevel governance II (RelEP2) survey for the Spanish case and, together with other qualitative data, analyses how religion is an issue on the political agenda of Spanish MEPs, focusing on Vox and how other parties have reacted to the emergence of the far right. The contribution identifies two fields in which religion is mobilised as a symbolic resource for political activity: a) identity politics and EU external action, and b) morality policies and issues related to gender.

‘With the law behind us’: Resource mobilisation and legal repertoires in the Peruvian labour movement

In contrast to the emphasis placed on the links between political parties and trade unions in many Global South labour studies, this article underscores the importance of analysing the role of legal advisors in labour dynamics. Focusing on the Peruvian experience, the author examines how legal advisors leveraging their networks and expertise have replaced activists as crucial players in a period of crisis in the country’s political party system. Based on extensive field research with trade unions and lawyers, the study highlights how this shift has influenced three interrelated aspects of labour strategies: the development of norms within the organisation, the framing of challenges faced by unions, and the choice of mobilisation repertoires, which have increasingly centred on legal proceedings rather than public demonstrations. The article explores the empirical and theoretical implications of these findings for labour studies in Latin America.

论全过程人民民主的制度保障

Democracy, a universal human value, finds new interpretation and relevance in the concept of “whole-process people’s democracy” in China. This concept represents a theoretical evolution and practical distillation of China’s democratic principles, reflecting the dynamic practice of people’s democracy within the context of Chinese socialism in the modern era. Whole-process people’s democracy operates effectively through a well-designed institutional framework. At its core, the leadership system of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is pivotal in defining and safeguarding whole-process people’s democracy. The People’s Congress system, which ensures that the people are the ultimate decision-makers in the country, provides essential institutional support. Additionally, a reformed political party system that upholds and respects people’s democracy reinforces the concept. Consultative democracy, a distinctive feature of socialist democratic politics in China, serves as a consensus-building mechanism vital for whole-process people’s democracy. Lastly, the grassroots mass autonomy system empowers citizens at the local level, serving as a foundation for people’s involvement throughout the democratic process.

The Changing Role of Politics: A Critical Analysis of the 21st Century Political Party System in West Bengal

The Changing Role of Politics: A Critical Analysis of the 21st Century Political Party System in West Bengal

Do Political Parties Represent Voters’ Preference? A Clustering Analysis of Korea’s Local Election of 2018

Abstract We employ the results of a survey conducted on two thousand voters that have participated in Korean local election of 2018 to perform clustering analysis of Korean voters’ preferences. We attempt to test the hypothesis of these preferences being adequately represented by the five major political parties. We find that there was likely a significant mismatch between Korean voters and the five voting camps identified under the assumption of five being an optimal number of the voting clusters. After relaxing this assumption we found that the optimal number of voting camps in Korea is two or three, suggesting that a two or a tri-partite political party system would have been a more adequate match representing Korean voters’ preferences in 2018.

Modern Forms and Practices of the Civil Society Self-Organization in the Czech Republic

The aim of this article is to study the peculiarities and specifics of Czech civil society. The initial situation and institutional conditions of the social self-organization are analyzed, along with specific examples of representing social interests and other forms of participation, as well as the ideas of state policy and civil society that fuel civic activism or protests. The author emphasizes that today the Czech Republic has a fairly diverse and extensive network of organized civil society, particularly in the ecological and social spheres. The system of political parties and a certain form of legal and financial regulation have not always contributed to the development of civic initiatives. Trade unions benefit from the opportunity to participate in state politics and its institutions. For Czechs, it is characteristic to express collective interests and outside the parliament – informally through demonstrations, petitions, and initiatives directed towards post-materialistic orientations. Civic initiatives address issues concerning Roma and other minorities, aid refugees, and resolve matters in which the state takes a restrictive position, although it is supported by broad segments of the Czech society. Similar patterns can be observed in protests and demands for political reforms. Czechs are seeking alternatives to existing parties that rely on civil society. The author emphasizes that among the numerous civil society organizations, there are influential ones, but the level of participation of Czechs in them is low. There have been frequent expressions of dissatisfaction with the form of social life and significant reservations towards the “party elite” in society. To some extent, this also applies to associations closely related to politics.

WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN PAKISTAN: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

This qualitative research signifies the importance of women’s political participation in all democratic societies in the world is highlighted. To know how and why the participation of women in politics is mandatory, Down’s Theory of Rational Choice is used, and for the recognition of women’s identity in political parties Michigan Model of Party Identification is used as a theoretical framework within the framework of the political party system in Pakistan. Secondary sources are used for data collection. Interpretive qualitative methodology is used to understand the theoretical perspective of this issue. Unlike earlier research, this study discusses the importance of women's participation in Pakistan's politics, in a theoretical framework. The technique of triangulation is used for the validity of data. Keywords: Women’s political participation, theoretical perspective, elections, and party, Downs’s theory of rational choice, Michigan model, party identification,

The non-affiliates in China’s Political Party System: how to play a role?

The non-affiliates in China’s Political Party System: how to play a role?

Deinstitutionalization of the Congress ‘party system’ in Indian competitive politics

The conference in Poona that led to the foundation of Indian National Congress in 1885 aimed to serve as the germ of a native parliament to provide a reply to the assertion that India was still unfit for any form of representative institution. It spearheaded the Indian independence movement and post 1947 ushered in a ‘Congress system’ of one-party dominance that represented a historical consensus with few parallels in any political party system in the world. Dialectical contradiction has been a historic recurrence in the Congress as ‘personality cults’ of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi in the early years and a ‘high command culture’ later on decimated its hegemonic power in competitive party politics. The Congress declined due to a deficit of political vision, lack of forward-thinking ideas, engagement in competitive pseudo-secularism and diminishing electoral returns of dynastic (Nehru-Gandhi) politics. The institutionalization of BJP as a dominant party in 2014 coincided with the deinstitutionalization of the Congress party system. The grand old party needs to relegitimize itself by revamping its ideology, formulating a populist model of governance, creating son-of-the-soil leadership, revitalizing the party system, re-engaging with citizens, altering its politics to meritocracy and embracing new age electoral grammar.

Making space: citizens, parties and interest groups in two ideological dimensions

ABSTRACT In liberal democracies, interest groups and political parties constitute the primary organizational carriers of citizens’ preferences into the decision-making of the executive and legislative institutions. While political science research has put extensive efforts into understanding both channels of representation, their combined effect for citizen representation has only recently come into focus. In particular, we lack knowledge of the ideological alignment of citizens, parties and interest groups on overarching economic Left-Right and socio-cultural dimensions. We address this gap via an original cross-national survey of interest groups, which includes the self-placement of groups on the Left-Right and Gal-Tan dimensions. The configuration of groups on these dimensions are compared with Chapel Hill Expert Survey data on parties, and information on the preferences of citizens from the European Election Studies. Our findings indicate that interest groups have the potential to supplement multidimensional gaps in representation between the political party system and citizen preferences.

Smallness and democracy in Pacific island countries from an institutional perspective

Objective Although a relation between smallness and democracy has often been examined, it cannot be said that an academic conclusion has been established. Focusing on Pacific island countries, this article has examined how democracy of microstates works and clarified a smallness-democracy relation in the political process. Methods This article focuses on the political institutions.such as the executive system, the legislature's system, the election system, and the political party system—, and examines how these institutions mutually influence one another. Results In the Pacific island countries, some important factors, including smallness and traditional human relationships, play a vital role in the political process, which makes their politics democratic and stable. Conclusions “Micro-Cooperative Democracy” is presented as a new type of democracy that corresponds to neither the Majoritarian nor Consensus models.

Основные тенденции в развитии партийно-политической системы Великобритании после всеобщих парламентских выборов 2019 г.

The 2019 general parliamentary elections in the UK took place in the context of a prolonged socio-political crisis: it was the second early election in three years, which is extremely atypical for Britain. Elections were held after resignation of T. May, who after several attempts failed to get support for her draft Agreement on Britain's withdrawal from the EU in the House of Commons and decided to leave the post of prime minister and leader of the Conservatives. Shortly after the victory of the Tories, the exit of the country from the EU, which was the main stumbling block in political discourse for three whole years, was finally completed by the new Tory leader B. Johnson. Then it seemed that the main contradictions had been overcome, but the coronavirus pandemic became another test of strength for the country's political system, and B. Johnson himself fell into a series of scandals that led not only to a declining trust in the prime minister, but to his resignation. Against the backdrop of instability in the political life of the country, the role of regional parties has also changed, which, as forces of opposition pressure, have a significant impact on the domestic political agenda. This article examines features of the development of the UK party-political system on the eve and after the 2019 general parliamentary elections. First of all, attention is paid to analyzing the election results, to the study of B. Johnson's policy in a period of crisis, the assessment of the approaches of the Labour Party under K. Starmer, and the analysis of the transforming role of regional parties in the country. The article also highlights the factors in the development of the modern party-political system in Great Britain. The main conclusion of the article is that despite the deep and prolonged political crisis in the country, the system remains stable and, moreover, the Conservative Party manages to maintain its dominance in these circumstances.

Frankreichs Parteiensystem im Umbruch

Until 2017 “two blocks” dominated the French political party system . Alternative governments of the left and of the bourgeois-conservative camp have alternated since the 1960s . Due to the drastic losses of the traditional parties as Les Républicains as well as the Socialists and the electoral successes of the liberal-conservative Macron supporters, the supporters of the radical right-wing Le Pen’s movement and the left-wing socialist party under Jean-Luc Mélenchon there has been a new development towards an asymmetry . Since the most recent parliamentary elections in 2022, one can speak of a tripolar system: Alongside Macrons La République en Marche (now Renaissance), the right-wing Rassemblement National under Marine Le Pen and the left-wing group La France Insoumise under Jean Luc Mélenchon . The once dominant parties of the Fifth Republic still exist, but are only a shadow of themselves .

Establishment of «Belaya Rus» party in light of the new trends in development of the political system in Belarus

On March 18, 2023, the founding congress of the Belarusian Party "Belaya Rus" was held. After the referendum in February 2022 and amendments to the Constitution, this is another major event in the political history of Belarus. The authors consider prerequisites and features of the reform of political party system in Belarus, possible consequences and risks associated with its implementation.

France: going through it again?

Riots of young people in the suburbs of a number of cities in France, where large diasporas of immigrants from Arab-Muslim countries are concentrated, largely repeat similar events in 2005. This reflects the crisis of education and social mobility, and ultimately the crisis of the entire party-political system of the Fifth Republic.

FRENCH ELECTIONS 2022: FEATURES, RESULTS, CONSEQUENCES

The article analyzes the results of the presidential and parliamentary elections in France in 2022, which took place in specific conditions caused by the increase in energy and socio-economic problems in the country against the background of military operations in Ukraine. Despite the re-election of President E. Macron for a second term, the loss of an absolute pro-government majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of the French Parliament) following the parliamentary elections significantly complicated the implementation of his election program. In particular, the inability, as before, to constantly use article 49-3 of the Constitution of the country to adopt laws, in fact contrary to the opinion of deputies, required the President and the government to start searching for compromises and possible allies, as well as adjusting the political course. However, the significant strengthening of non-systemic political forces in the lower house of Parliament – the far-left «Unconquered France» and, especially, the far-right «National Association», the reluctance of the «Republicans» to enter into a coalition with the presidential majority complicates the plans of the Head of State. The prospects of further evolution of the country’s party-political system, as well as the preparation of the main political forces of the country for the next electoral cycle of 2027 are considered.

DEFENDER OF CZECHOSLOVAK UNITY. A PROBE INTO THE POLITICS OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK NATIONAL SOCIALISTS IN SLOVAKIA BETWEEN 1918 AND 1938

Until 1989, the reformist current of the National Socialists was one of the backbone elements of the Czech/Czechoslovak party-political system. The political party of the Czech National Socialists was formed in the 1890s and during the years of the First Czechoslovak Republic (1918 – 1938) under the name Czechoslovak National Socialist Party (CSNP) was a regular part of government coalitions. The historiographical description of their activities and their contribution to solving the political, economic, social, and cultural problems of state formation corresponds to this fact. An exception in this context is the history of the party in Slovakia between 1918 and 1938, a period when the party leaders decided to extend the organization's reach to the entire territory of the newly formed state. Apart from partial mentions, we have only a few short historical studies, which are inaccurate in their findings and give only the most basic outline of the Party's policy in this territory. Therefore, the present study is one of the new probes into the Party's activities in Slovakia, aiming to reduce the historiographical debt. Given the limited scope, this article analyses the party's profile in Slovakia intending to evoke its Czechoslovakist programme, the programme of Czechoslovak national and state unity, which was not accepted with understanding in the conservative and especially nationalist and autonomist-oriented Slovak environment or was fundamentally rejected. In the field of political practice, the party projected the concept of unity into the issue of the search for the optimal administrative system of the Czechoslovak Republic. It was opposed not only to the vision of an autonomous Slovakia within Czechoslovakia, which she correctly perceived as the first step in the process leading to the state-law separation of Czechs and Slovaks, but also the provincial system. The ideal, fulfilling the idea of self-government, autonomy, and independence, was the county system. As a probe into the aforementioned topic, this study also analyses the relationship of the National Socialists in Slovakia to Hlinka's Slovak People's Party, which had the most significant electoral support of the population and differed with them programmatically and politically on the issues addressed in our study. It was their primary political opponent.

NEW KAZAKHSTAN: PROGRESS AND RESULTS OF POLITICAL REFORMS

The article analyzes the course and first results of political reforms systematically carried out in the country in recent years. The coordination and sustainable development of democratic institutions and civil society is one of the most important factors that directly affect the future of the state and its prosperity. The principle of "first the economy, then politics" and the restrictions and accumulated problems in the political life and economy of the country for many years have a negative impact on the sustainable development of the state and cause crisis phenomena. The article systematically examines the course, scale and features of the political reforms that the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Tokayev has been gradually implementing in the country since 2019. In the course of the political reform, priority areas and adopted documents were comprehensively considered, analyzes and analyzes of their impact on the development of individual institutions and their positive results for society were carried out. The article analyzed from a new point of view the processes of implementing political reforms, the historical mission of the National Council of Public Trust and the National Congress, their place in society and the work they perform, new changes in the political party system and the division of powers between the branches of government as a result of the constitutional reforms carried out. . The article concludes that the course of comprehensive political reforms carried out in the country in recent years will contribute to the sustainable development of the country, the strengthening of democratic institutions and civil society, and will provide great opportunities for political competition in the future.

Moving Away from Patronage: A Feedback Approach

Patronage appointments in government are a continuing issue in many administrative systems. Especially for countries in Latin America and Africa patronage is considered a major impediment to developing more effective administrative systems. A great deal has been written describing patronage and discussing the causes for patronage, but much less research has addressed the dynamics of moving away from patronage to more merit-based systems. This paper reviews the patronage literature and then develops a dynamic feedback model for movement away from patronage. The model links the quality of the services provided by the government, the nature of the political party system, and levels of trust to patronage. The model uses several reinforcing and balancing feedback loops to demonstrate the possible dynamics of change in administrative appointments.