Institutionalizing the democratic party-state: political parties as ‘public utilities’ in Italy and West Germany, 1945–75

Abstract

This article argues that the rise of parties as 'public utilities' , that is, semi-state organs crucial in the functioning of democracy, which is currently observed by political scientists, has long historical roots. It looks from an institutionalist perspective to the development of party-state relations in Germany and Italy since the Second World War, paying specific attention to how institutional reform corresponded to changing normative assumptions about the position of political parties in twentieth-century democracy. The first notions on the 'statist' dimension of parties were put forward as an answer to the challenges of mass politics in the interwar era. After 1945, politicians and constitutional judges drew upon this tradition in their efforts to stabilize mass democracy. They deliberately constructed 'partystate democracies' , in which parties influenced the state and the state managed individual parties and the party system. This became visible in the constitutionalization of political parties, as well as in the enactment and normative justification of party (finance) laws in the 1960s and 1970s. The advent of parties as public utilities, even though fiercely criticized today, was therefore embedded in an ideological tradition that sanctioned the 'party-state' as crucial for the stability of modern democracy.

Political Party Institutionalization From a Comparative Perspective: The Case of Thailand

“…An example of provisions in the constitution and party law aimed at institutionalizing political parties according to the first approach is the provisions of the German Constitution, which seeks to make political parties political organizations in which people can participate freely in forming their political will (Corduwener 2018). Many provisions under the German Constitution also attempt to make political parties have a democratic internal organization, have an open and verifiable financial control system, and have no approach aimed at destroying or overthrowing democracy or threatening the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany (Rosa 2017).…”

Politische Parteien und Parteiensystem

“…Allerdings variiert ihr Einfluss in diesen je nach Regimetyp sehr stark. In Demokratien gelten politische Parteien mittlerweile als für das Funktionieren des Staates notwendige Institutionen, was ihre Förderung durch den Staat rechtfertigt (van Biezen 2004;Corduwener 2018).…”