Responsible Parties: Saving Democracy from Itself

Rosenbluth and Shapiro (both, political science, Yale Univ.) decry party reforms weakening politicians and empowering activists. The British Westminster system of historically ideologically cohesive parties led by career politicians is held to be a model for efficient government, while the weak party system in the United States exemplifies office holders without institutional or programmatic commitment to their parties. Proportional representation, more open candidate selection, and policy setting have changed representative democracies, the authors argue. However, the historic benefits of the British and American two-party systems are overstated. At Westminster, Conservatives and Labour have failed to address regionalism, nationalism, and economic inequality, leading to the growth of smaller parties and minority governments. In the United States, meanwhile, platforms and politicians beholden to donors have produced the grassroots Tea Party on the right and debilitating distrust of party insiders on the left. The authors lay out the clear case that crises in democratic governments the world over reflect political parties, whatever their form, that no longer speak to the needs of the people they serve.