Economic Programmes of the Political Parties

Abstract

Modern democracy is a party democracy. The realization of a representative democracy is based on the existence of a competitive party system. Modem government is a party government. Parties formulate and design policies when they exercise legislative and executive power. Parties, as bearers of competing policy alternatives, define the relevant policy options. Responding to this supply of policies, people decide in the elections which option should be forwarded during the next electoral period. In the long run, parties respond to the demands extracted from society and formulate their programmes in accordance with these demands but in the short term, as during a pre-electoral campaign, parties are suppliers and voters consumers. The rivalry between alternative policy options pursued by various parties gives expression to interest conflicts inherent in civil society. The structure of the party system constitutes one of the most crucial elements of the institutional framework affecting policymaking.