THEORY OF POLITICAL PARTIES •Late 19th century Mass parties •Mass print media, party press, mass membership, class parties •Early 20th century Catch-all parties •Second half of the 20th century Electoral-professional parties •Late 20th century •Late 20th century Business-firm parties •Late 20th century Member-less parties •New millenia CYBER PARTY: HELEN MARGETTS (2001) Cyber party = a conceptual model Real parties may only approximate the concept Modern political parties -some traits of the concept „virtual" parties ROOTS Increasin g Increasing use of ICT • Citizens, organizations, government, NGOs... • New apps • Mass usage of the Internet = key platform for political communication Changing Changing patterns of relationship between parties and voters • Single-issue political activities • Declining party membership • Dealignment DEALIGNMENT 1. Decreasing partisan identification 2. Greater alienation of voters from parties —► links connecting parties and voters are weakening —► more „free" voters available on electoral market —► electorates are less stable and more volatile (changeable) 3. Decreasing partisan membership 4. Decreasing trust in political parties ■ Anti-party sentiment ■ Lowering turnout decreasing shares of old parties -^Favourable conditions for the emergence of new parties SINGLE ISSUE POLITICAL ACTIVITY Public still oppose fox hunting Do you support or oppose the ban on fox hunting with hounds? % ■ Support "Oppose ■ Don't know Anti-capitalism Fox-hunting Animal rights Environmental issues Human rights issues Pirate issues 61 51 HÜ 1 33 2004* 2015 "2004 question: "MPs have voted to ban fox hunting with hounds. Do you suport or oppose this ban?' \buGow' I yougov.com Jan. 7- —► technologies allow target at the respective groups FURTHER EXAMPLES OF SINGLE-ISSUE ACTIVITIES PARTY RESPONSES Origins: • Changing patterns of political participation • Web-based technologies Claim to support • Direct linkages to voters Membership • No or little membership • Loose definition of supporters Channels of communication • Web-based DIE DIGITALEN" IN GERMANY "virtual parties": " ■ ran in the 1999 local government election in Berlin ■ operated only on the on-line basis MEMBERSHIP Membership recruitment - low priority Supporters and voters more important Channels for supporter and voters to influence party manifesto • On-line discussion forums • 2000 Conservative Party in UK -organized first e-petition CYBERPARTIES AND THEIR WEAKNESSES Strategic penetration („carpet baggers") On-line participation (no formal members) Danger of party enemies to influence party candidate selection Especially local level ELow number of participants Low turnout —>•—>• Small group of well-organized strategic voters are more likely to influence the result CYBERPARTIES AND THEIR WEAKNESSES „preaching to the converted" (Pippa Norris) • On-line messages can not reach out other people Lack of organizational capacity and weaknesses • Lack of people: grassroots activity is vital for local campaigns • Campaign can not be done solely on-line • Lack of membership fees paying members • X Internet - cost saving device • X absence of membership does not preclude donations