Political Parties in Conflict-Prone Societies: Regulation, Engineering and Democratic Development

Well-functioning political parties are essential components of democracy. They organize voters, articulate interests, and craft policy alternatives. They recruit and socialize new candidates for office and set policymaking agendas. They integrate disparate groups and individuals into the democratic process. And they provide the basis for coordinated electoral and legislative activity. But political parties in many developing democracies remain weak and underdeveloped, often based on personal, ethnic, or regional ties rather than on national interests. As more countries determine their leaders through multiparty elections than ever before, many fledgling democracies seek to shape the development of political parties and party systems by regulating the way parties can form, organize, and behave. This volume examines the growing trend toward promoting stable and inclusive political parties through regulation and engineering in conflict-prone young democracies around the world. Regions examined are Southeast Asia, Central and Southeastern Europe, Latin America, the Pacific Islands, and Southern and East Africa.

Benjamin Reilly is director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions and professor of political science in the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University. Per Nordlund is senior program manager for International IDEA's initiative on Research and Dialogue with Political Parties.