Politics Meets Policies: The Emergence of Programmatic Political Parties

Dr Nic Cheeseman and DPhil candidate Dan Paget are co-authors of a new book entiteld 'Politics Meets Policies: The Emergence of Programmatic Political Parties'. Their analysis, which was based on the collective efforts of a team of four researchers, attempts to explain when parties move from more personality- or ethnically-based politics to more policy or programme-based strategies of mobilising support.

In doing so, they try to answer some of the most pressing questions in the field of democratization, such as what features do successful programmatic parties exhibit that others lack? Does the success of programmatic parties lead to better quality leadership, economic growth, and an increase in state capacity? Are programmatic parties necessarily better for democracy than personalistic or ethnic ones?

The research was commissioned by the International Institute for Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), which asked selected political scientists to examine what drives and strengthens programmatic politics, even under unlikely conditions. The different authors draw lessons from Brazil, Bulgaria, the Dominican Republic, India, South Korea, Ukraine, Taiwan, Turkey, and Zambia, and use the most up to date and comprehensive research on democratic accountability and citizen-politician linkages. Other co-authors of Politics Meets Policies include Herbert Kitshcelt and Juan Pablo Luna.

The book is intended to reach both the policy and academic community, and findings are being disseminated to both communities in various meetings in Brussels, London, Stockholm, Sussex, and Washington.

For more information, to view an online copy, and to buy the book, visit http://www.idea.int/publications/politics-meets-policies/index.cfm