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The Structuring of Party Systems in Post-communism

The Roles of Political Process and Social Cleavage

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The Experience of Democratization in Eastern Europe

Abstract

Political parties are viewed as essential institutions for the functioning of modern, stable democracies.1 Parties allow for the expression of individual preferences, for the collective representation of such interests, for the accommodation of competitive interests in society, for the selection of alternative policy programmes, and for monitoring of accountable government. In short, parties enable an effective system of choice that is a foundation of democratic politics. For that very reason, the establishment of strong party systems has been perceived as a requirement for the consolidation of democracy in the post-communist states of Central and Eastern Europe.

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Notes

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Authors
  1. Jack Bielasiak
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

    Richard Sakwa (Professor of Russian and European Politics) (Professor of Russian and European Politics)

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© 1999 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited

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Bielasiak, J. (1999). The Structuring of Party Systems in Post-communism. In: Sakwa, R. (eds) The Experience of Democratization in Eastern Europe. International Council for Central and East European Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14511-9_8

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