Political parties
A political party is an organized group of people who exercise their legal right to identify with a set of similar political aims and opinions, and one that seeks to influence public policy by getting its candidates elected to public office. Even though the presentation of candidates and the electoral campaign are the functions that are most visible to the electorate, political parties fulfill many other vital roles in a democratic society. They are also institutionalized mediators between civil society and the duly-elected representatives who decide and implement policy. For example, political party-affiliated legislators who meet with civil society representatives to solicit individual (or organizational) opinion in the public policy formulation process. By this, they enable their members’ and supporters’ demands to be represented in parliament and in government. Key tasks of political parties include the following:
- Solicit and prioritize needs and policy priorities as identified by members and supporters
- Familiarize and educate voters and citizens in the functioning of the political and electoral system and in generating general political values
- Educate and train party members and leadership on an ongoing basis
- Balance opposing demands and convert them into general policies
- Activate and mobilize citizens toward political participation while demonstrating how they can transform public opinion into viable policy options
- Channel public opinion from citizens to government
- Recruit and train candidates for public office
Internal functioning of political parties
The internal functioning of individual political parties is somewhat determined by external forces such as the domestic electoral system, political culture, and legal regulations. Overall, however, it is internal processes that are the deciding factor in this process. Factors that influence a political party from within include the personality of party leaders and staff, the ideological foundations, party history, and internal political culture. Application of democratic principles and processes applied within a party structure include internal information and consultation processes, internal (formal or informal) rules and bylaws, the internal organisation and decision-making structure, and transparency in the party’s functioning at all levels. Party members may also take on more formal roles in decision-making such as participating in internal elections for leadership positions or in selecting the party’s candidate(s) to stand in upcoming elections. Many parties also work actively to enhance the role of traditionally under-represented groups in their parties. Gender balance in party membership and adequate internal representation by women in the party’s organizational and governing structures is often reflected in the caliber and quantity of women put forth as part of party-based candidate lists.
Independent candidates
Many electoral legal frameworks allow persons to register and participate as candidates in an election even if they are not nominated by a political party or a registered party member. The role of independent candidates is more important in countries with Majority/Plurality electoral systems[1] than in those with proportional representation (PR) systems, but there can be a role for independent candidates in most PR systems as well. Even if independent candidates cannot contest an election, there might still be persons in the legislature who are no longer affiliated with a political party and who wish to run for elected office. Countries have different rules as to what happens to a parliamentary seat if the person who holds it leaves or is expelled from his or her political party. In some countries, the representative can keep the seat, while in others the seat is filled by the political party, remains vacant, or is filled through a by-election.[2]
Key stakeholders in elections
Political parties and candidates are key stakeholders in elections. They compete for public office, carry out election campaigns, and attempt through party issue-based electoral platforms to convince eligible voters to vote for them. Ultimately, the possibilities for party-affiliated candidates to campaign, assume public office, or form a credible opposition depend on the legal, political, and cultural environment in the country, and on the administration and outcome of the elections. From another perspective, the final validation of the election result is in practice in the hands of the political parties and candidates. If they do not accept the results due to real or perceived electoral fraud or irregularities, the legitimacy of the resulting legislature or government is threatened. Likewise, the voting public—whether affiliated with a particular party through membership or not—must perceive and believe that the results officially declared after Election Day are valid and represent the expressed willing of the electorate.
Parties and candidates are also actors that have the potential to be destructive. Practices of vote-buying or illegal party finance, the proliferation of defamation and hate speech in campaigns, voter intimidation by party workers, corruption in decision-making, and the systematic exclusion of certain sectors of the society constitute examples of where political parties threaten the functioning of democratic systems rather than support it. Laws and regulations regarding campaigning, funding, and functioning of political parties are developed to minimize the potential disruptive influence of political parties while still allowing them enough freedom to contest elections.
Parties and candidates in power
”Today women constitute 19 percent of the members of parliaments around the world. Recently, Rwanda superseded Sweden at the number one in the world in terms of women’s parliamentary representation — 56.3 percent women against Sweden’s 47.3 percent. Rwanda is an example of the new trend to use electoral gender quotas as a fast track to gender balance in politics.” The Quota Project website
Depending on electoral success, political parties and party or independent candidates will form the government or legislative opposition of a country. The electoral system is an important factor determining how votes cast translate into an electoral mandate, but the choices of parties and candidates in campaigning, coalition-building, and pre-electoral alliances also have an impact on the final result. The ties between elected representatives and their political parties, the internal functioning of their parties, and the training and resources available to them help shape legislation, budgets, and government policies.
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Election Posters by grooble is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic License.
