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Legislation On Political Parties

A Global Comparison

Political Science, FIN-20500 Åbo, Finland, lauri.karvonen{at}abo.fi

This is a comprehensive study of the special legislation on political parties around the world. In a survey conducted in late 2003, 39 party laws (PLs) identified among the world's states were subjected to a systematic content analysis which confirmed the hypothesis that PLs regulate political parties differently depending on the democratic status of the respective countries. In non-democratic states, regimes tend to use PLs to restrict the freedom of their opponents, while in newly democratized states, democratic regimes use the law to counteract lingering anti-democratic tendencies. In some stable democracies, the PL is primarily a prerequisite for regulation of public party subsidies and political finance. The article concludes with some reflections on PLs in established democratic states.

Key Words: cartel parties • parties and democratization • parties and the state • party legislation • party organization

Party Politics, Vol. 13, No. 4, 437-455 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1354068807077955


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