The Crisis of Party Democracy, Cognitive Mobilization, and the Case for Making Parties More Deliberative

Abstract

The much-discussed crisis of political parties poses a challenge to democratic theorists as institutional designers: how can the capacity of parties to mediate between society and state be resuscitated? In this paper, we suggest that parties need to become more internally deliberative, allowing partisans to debate policy and more general visions for the polity. We outline a prescriptive model of deliberative intra-party democracy, drawing on the empirical literature on the changing structure of civic and political engagement. We argue that deliberative reforms are the most appropriate response to the demands of an increasingly more cognitively mobilized citizenry which seeks self-expression and non-hierarchical forms of political engagement. We highlight the model's distinctive strengths and defend it against several objections.

The democratic interface: technology, political organization, and diverging patterns of electoral representation

“…Studies in the context of US election campaigns observe strategies of 'managed interactivity' (Kreiss, 2012) or 'controlled interactivity' (Stromer-Galley, 2014; see also Jensen, 2017). Invitations for broader input are often limited to non-binding consultation or decisions on already established alternatives (Invernizzi-Accetti & Wolkenstein, 2017). In all, there is little evidence that such peripheral technology-enabled innovation is reversing long-term declines in membership or voter confidence (van Biezen, Mair, & Poguntke, 2012;Poguntke et al, 2016).…”

Complementing and correcting representative institutions: When and how to use mini‐publics

“…While parties are in principle able to secure the empowerment of inclusions, the formation of collective agendas and wills, and the channeling of those agendas and wills into binding decisions, their ability to deliver these values has often been called into question in recent times. A brief glance at the empirical literature documenting what has sometimes been referred to as the ‘crisis of party democracy’ (Invernizzi‐Accetti & Wolkenstein ; also see Mair ; Papadopoulos ) suffices to illustrate this.…”

Political Parties in Deeply Multilingual Polities: Institutional Conditions and Lessons for the EU

“…Europarties could potentially contribute to countering the EU's democratic deficit that has been at the centre of much academic debate over the past 20 years (Føllesdal and Hix, ; Hix, ; Scharpf, ). However, their ability to provide that linkage has significantly eroded in liberal democracies in recent decades and could be significantly enhanced by rendering parties more internally deliberative (Invernizzi‐Accetti and Wolkenstein, ; Wolkenstein, ). This could help Europarties to ensure that the views and demands of EU citizens are included in the articulation of their platforms, manifestoes, and proposals more than they currently are.…”