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Political Parties and Party Systems

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Elections, Parties and Representation in Post-Communist Europe

Abstract

Much of the study of post-communist politics carried with it assumptions that over time these political systems would manifest increasing stability and predictability. While ‘transition’ implied change, and with it the importance of élite actors, uncertainty, and ‘windows of opportunity’, consolidation implied that once institutions were in place they would themselves begin to shape élite behaviour. Though the ‘consolidationists’ were often careful to stress that democratic reversals remained possible, that developments were not linear, and that consolidation operated at different levels over a time span lasting up to a generation,1 the very term ‘consolidation’ suggested that the complex elements and processes comprising a political system would somehow ‘solidify’, gradually becoming routine and institutionalised.

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Notes

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Government, University of Essex, UK

    Frances Millard (Professor)

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  1. Frances Millard
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© 2004 Frances Millard

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Millard, F. (2004). Political Parties and Party Systems. In: Elections, Parties and Representation in Post-Communist Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230000865_6

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