A political party may be
guided in its structure and functioning by external regulations, such as the
Constitution or laws and regulations, by internal party rules, such as the
Party Constitution, or by both. Practice, however, may differ from written Party
Constitutions or internal rules. Given that political parties perform such
important tasks in democracies today, their internal functioning becomes very
important. Aspects of this include the policy-formulation and general
decision-making process of the political party, the involvement of members and
party groups, and the accountability of the party leadership.
Common organisational
structures in a party include the following:
- National
leadership committee, i.e. the national executive body
This is usually the “party
government” making and implementing decisions on a day-to-day basis. The
decision as to who is to be a member in this body determines much of the party
functioning. The composition of the national executive body varies between
political parties: sometimes just a few party leaders form the leadership,
while in other cases, representatives of party wings, such as the women’s wing,
members of local branches, or auxiliary groups are represented in the
leadership committee. How members of this committee are appointed differs
between political parties and countries: some parties hold elections for
leadership committees where for instance delegates from the party
organisations, such as regional and local groups, are entitled to vote, while
others do not. When elections are held, quotas for women or ethnic minority
groups may be applied. There is also a difference between countries and parties
as to whether the members of the national executive body are paid by the
political party or not. This may have a great influence on the professionalism,
responsibilities, and dedication of the leadership committee.
- National Conference, Congress, or
Convention
The National Congress is
usually the highest decision-making body of the party and meets one to five times
a year. Attendance at the conference may include delegates from regional and
local branches, auxiliary groups, the women’s wing, and the youth wing of the
party, if any. Ordinary members may also be welcomed. Sometimes, Congress
resolutions are binding upon the party leadership, while in other cases they
are just suggestions or guidelines.
- Local and regional party branches
Most political parties try
to have local and regional party branches, sometimes in up to five layers below
the national level. Internal party rules determine who is in control of the
decision-making process – the national level or the local levels of the party.
Local and regional party branches can be more or less independent from the
national party organisation in leadership, budget, and campaigning. The local
levels often play important roles in connecting with the electorate, nominating
candidates, and carrying out local election campaigns.
Youth wings and women’s
wings are the most common auxiliary groups in political parties all over the
world. They are usually part of the party organisation and lobby the party
leadership on issues of specific concern to their members. The independence of
the auxiliary groups differs in terms of rights to have their own membership registers
and budgets and to make independent decisions. Auxiliary groups often have the
right to send their own delegates to National Conventions and are sometimes
even represented on the National Executive Committee. The degree of internal
fractionalization in the political party denotes how heterogeneous the internal
party structure is. In some political parties, distinct factions are
independently organized and elect their own leadership.
Affiliated groups are
usually not formally part of the party organisation, but constitute independent
organisations with strong links to the party. Trade unions or employer’s
organisations are typical examples of affiliated groups. At times, membership
in the affiliated group automatically gives membership in the political party,
and even if large and regular donations between them are common, the
organisations’ budgets are separate.
