Political Parties
Political Science
About This Course
This course focuses on understanding the origins of political parties and interest groups. Also focuses on the evolution of political parties and the relation between them and interest groups. So with this course it is expected that students can understand what is a political party and an interest group as well understand the role interest can have in democracy. It is divided in two parts, the first one about the political parties and the second one about the interest groups and with some reaction to the political parties.
Course Content
1. The study of political parties and party systems
Origins and historical evolution of parties: from notable parties to catch-all parties
New parties: organizational and programmatic innovations
Political Parties and Interest Groups
Populist parties
The crisis of the parties and the problem of legitimacy
The typologies of party systems: Duverger, Sartori and Mair
The evolution of party systems: misalignment or realignment?
The institutionalization of party systems in the new democracies
The Portuguese party system: characteristics and evolution
2. The study of organizations of interest: theoretical and empirical approaches
Definitions and functions of interest groups
The pluralist theory of interest groups
Corporatism and neo-corporatism
Neo-pluralist theories
Stakeholder mobilization strategies
The lobby and the influence of interest groups
Interest groups, European Union and Europeanization
Parties, groups and articulation of interests in political regimes
Interest groups in Portugal
Bibliography
Baumgartner,F. and Leech , B. , Basic interests: the importance of groups in politics and social science, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1998.
Lehmbruch, G. and Schmitter, P. , (dir.), Patterns of Corporatist Policy-Making, Londres, Sage, 1982.
Mair, P., Party System Change. Approaches and Interpretations, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1997.
Ware, A. , Political Parties, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997
Thomas S. , C. , Political Parties and Interest Groups: Shaping Democratic Governance, 2001