eBook

The formation of national party systems

Ken Kollman, Pradeep Chhibber

2004,2009

Overview

Pradeep Chhibber and Ken Kollman rely on historical data spanning back to the eighteenth century from Canada, Great Britain, India, and the United States to revise our understanding of why a country's party system consists of national or regional parties. They demonstrate that the party systems in these four countries have been shaped by the authority granted to different levels of government. Departing from the conventional focus on social divisions or electoral rules in determining whether a party system will consist of national or regional parties, they argue instead that national party systems emerge when economic and political power resides with the national government. Regional parties thrive when authority in a nation-state rests with provincial or state governments. The success of political parties therefore depends on which level of government voters credit for policy outcomes. National political parties win votes during periods when political and economic authority rests with the national government, and lose votes to regional and provincial parties when political or economic authority gravitates to lower levels of government. This is the first book to establish a link between federalism and the formation of national or regional party systems in a comparative context. It places contemporary party politics in the four examined countries in historical and comparative perspectives, and provides a compelling account of long-term changes in these countries. For example, the authors discover a surprising level of voting for minor parties in the United States before the 1930s. This calls into question the widespread notion that the United States has always had a two-party system. In fact, only recently has the two-party system become predominant.

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Subject: Activism / Amendment / Ballot / Bharatiya Janata Party / Cambridge University Press / Canadian federalism / Case studies / Central government / Comparative government / Conservative Party (UK) / Decentralization / Democracy / Duverger's law / Effective number of parties / Election / Elections in the United States / Electoral district / Federal government / Federal government -- History -- Case studies / General election / Governance / Government / Government of Canada / Head of government / History / History & Theory / Independent politician / Jacksonian democracy / Left-wing politics / Legislation / Legislator / Legislature / Local government / Lok Sabha / Major party / Majority / Minor party / Multi-party system / Nation state / National Government (United Kingdom) / National Parliament (East Timor) / National Policy / Nationalization / Nomination / Party discipline / Party leader / Party system / Policy / Political economy / Political history / Political Parties / Political parties -- History -- Case studies / Political party / Political Process / POLITICAL SCIENCE / POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory / POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Parties / Politician / Politics / Politics of India / Prince Edward Island / Proportional representation / Regionalism (politics) / Right-wing politics / Royal Commission / Separation of powers / Single-member district / Sovereignty / State government / State legislature (United States) / Subsidy / Two-party system / University of California / Uttar Pradesh / Voting / Voting behavior / Voting system / Welfare / Welfare state / Whigs (British political party) / World War I
• ISBN: 0691119325, 9780691119328, 9780691119311, 0691119317, 9781400826377, 1400826373