Parties registered with Elections Canada (contest Canadian federal elections)Political parties registered with Elections Ontario (contest Ontario provincial elections)

Defining political partiesDefining political parties• “Organizations that seeks to gain and

maintain political power”, MacLean and Wood, p. 171

• Canada Elections Act: “ ‘political party’ means an organization one of whose fundamental purposes is to participate in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election.”

• Moral persons• survive their founders• exist separately from members

Origins: from factions in a Origins: from factions in a legislature…legislature…

• Greece & Rome (500BC–1AD)

• Europe & North America (1300s–1800s)

• Elected as individuals

• Ideological similarities

• Ideological factions

Agora of AthensAgora of Athens

Roman ForumRoman Forum

British HouseBritish Houseof Commons 1793of Commons 1793

… … to actual political partiesto actual political parties

• Formalization of ties between parliamentarians

• Pooling of resources

• Party structure (organization)

• Presence outside the legislature

FunctionsFunctions

• Before anything else• recruit members• nominate candidates

• Aggregating interests• select issues• draft election platform

• Representing interests• run for office• implement platform if elected

Straddling two realmsStraddling two realms

• Both in the state and in civil society– aspiring (ex.: Green Party of Canada)– actual (ex.: Conservative Party of Canada)

• Sometimes in parliament but not seeking control of it– no intention to control the executive or the

legislature– preferably called “parliamentary groups”

or “parliamentary blocs” (ex.: Bloc Québécois)

Party typesParty types

Cadre parties• early Western

democracies• limited membership• prominent individuals• loose, horizontal

organization• based on personal

contacts

Mass parties• appear with

universal suffrage• mass membership• seek access to power• grass roots

participation• hierarchical

organization• rely on volunteers• mobilization of voters

Party types (cont’d)Party types (cont’d)

Umbrella parties• a.k.a. catch-all parties• wide appeal for

maximum aggregation (“median voter”)

• associated with SMP electoral system

• ex.: Liberals & Conservatives in Canada; Republicans & Democrats in US

Cleavage-based parties

• more specific appeal• identifiable ideology or

concern or regional base

• associated with PR electoral systems

• Ex.: Green Party* in Canada, British National Party

Party systemsParty systems

• Predominant or single-party system: one party (former Soviet Union, China, Mexico 1920s-1990s)

• Competitive party systems• two-party system / bipartism (US)

• two-plus party system (Canada & provinces; UK)

• multiparty system / multipartism (most democracies)

Parties in the legislatureParties in the legislatureParty discipline (or not)

The role of the Whipanswers to party leaderguarantee unitymaximize passage (or defeat) of billstakes attendancesubtle pressures on elected members

Dispense/withdraw privileges from elected members

Party leaders: powerful actorsParty leaders: powerful actorsChosen by members

Approves candidates for elections

AppointCabinet members (if in government)Or shadow cabinet (opposition critics)

Appoint parliamentary committee members

Give direction to party & takes responsibility

ConclusionConclusionGroupings of individuals seeking to get

elected

... or to elect candidates

Method of aggregating different interests

Presentation of a policy package for voters to choose

Number & types of parties vary based on electoral systems & social cleavages