Inevitable Party: Why Attempts to Kill the Party System Fail and How They Weaken Democracy
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Author Description
This Work Is A Study Of Antiparty Reforms And Why They Fail. Numerous Reform Movements Over The Past Century Have Designated Parties As The Enemy Of Democracy, And They Have Found A Willing Ally In The American People In Their Efforts To Rein In And Occasionally Root Out Parties. The Text Investigates Several Of These Antiparty Reform Efforts - From Open Primaries To Campaign Finance Restrictions To Nonpartisan Legislatures - Using Legislative Roll Call Votes, Campaign Donations Patterns, And Extensive Interviews With Local Political Elites. Fixing Politics -- Parties And Reforms -- Somebody's Gotta Go: Campaign Finance In Colorado -- Polarization Without Parties: Nebraska And The Nonpartisan Legislature -- The Nonpartisan Legislature In Minnesota -- The California Recall: A Sprint With No Primary -- Wisconsin's Adoption Of The Direct Primary -- Quit Fixing It: You're Only Making It Worse. Seth E. Masket. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
Why do repeated efforts to dismantle or reform the American party system consistently fail to achieve their stated goals while simultaneously undermining democratic stability? Seth Masket, a political scientist, examines the historical and structural persistence of political parties in the United States. By analyzing legislative data, campaign finance patterns, and interviews with political elites, he argues that attempts to weaken parties often produce unintended consequences that exacerbate polarization and reduce accountability.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of historical antiparty reform movements including open primaries and campaign finance restrictions.
- Case studies of nonpartisan legislatures in Nebraska and Minnesota.
- Examination of the California recall process and Wisconsin's direct primary adoption.
- Quantitative data derived from legislative roll call votes and campaign donation records.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the American political context and does not provide a comparative analysis of party systems in parliamentary democracies.
- It does not offer a comprehensive blueprint for future electoral reform, focusing instead on the critique of past efforts.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Political scientists frequently cite this work as a critical counter-narrative to the common assumption that weakening political parties improves democratic function. Readers often note the academic rigor of the case studies, which provide a clear look at how institutional changes impact political behavior.
Page Count:
196
Publication Date:
2016-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-10:
0190220856
ISBN-13:
9780190220853
Democracy
American Government
Public Policy
United States
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