This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Sanchez, O. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Party Non-Systems

A Conceptual Innovation

Texas State University at San Marcos, omarsanchez3{at}gmail.com

This article makes a case for expansion of the conceptual framework for the classification of party universe types. In particular, it introduces the concept of ‘party non-systems’, defined as those party universes characterized by a fundamental absence of inter-temporal continuity in the identity of the main parties. At the heart of this concept is the explicit differentiation between intra- and extra-systemic volatility. Party non-systems are characterized by persistently high transfers of votes away from the main parties towards new and small parties (i.e. high extra-systemic volatility), an ever-changing constellation of parties without a stable ‘core’. It is argued that the difference between non-systems and all other party universe types is not only one of degree (in level of institutionalization), but also one of kind. This conceptual innovation is then applied to a number of Latin American cases (Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia) at the low end of the institutionalization continuum to highlight important cross-country and inter-temporal differences in the nature of (core) party competition.

Key Words: electoral volatility • institutionalization • Latin America • party systems • stability/instability

Party Politics, Vol. 15, No. 4, 487-520 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1354068809334566


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?