Calm Before the Storm? The 2007 Provincial Election and Beyond Wednesday, Oct. 24, 7-9pm, Room EN-2006 (Engineering lecture theatre – All Welcome) An engaging evening of pundits sharing their views on the 2007 election campaign, the future of the province’s political parties, and what to expect during Danny Williams’ second term as Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. Discussants: Chris O’Neill-Yates, CBC TV Christopher Dunn, Department of Political Science David Cochrane, CBC TV/radio Rob Antle, The Telegram Steven Wolinetz, Department of Political Science

Parties and party systems Varieties of parties

Ways of classifying parties: According to their relationship to patterns of cleavage: Aggregative or brokerage parties – try to bridge societal cleavages –Example: Canadian or US parties Cleavage-based parties: parties represent or organize a particular cleavage or group in society – e.g. parties in most European countries According to the ideological family to which they belong: Parties arrayed from left to right according to their positions on social & economic issues According to their type – how they are organized

Relationships to political cleavages Parties may reflect (and sometimes reinforce, or even create) societal divisions OR Parties may try to bridge (and often blur) cleavages, societal divisions

Aggregative v. cleavage-based parties Aggregative or brokerage parties Cleavage-based parties United States Republicans Democrats CanadaLiberal; PCs Conservatives? NDP, Bloc Quebecois Reform & Alliance, UKNew LabourConservatives, Labour GermanySocial Democrats (SPD) Christian Democrats (CDU)

Ideological families Left: Social Democratic, Socialist & former Communist parties: Initially opposed church involvement, favoured secular state Early and mid 20 th c: favoured re-distribution of wealth, greater equality, greater state involvement in the economy Late 20 th c: favour a fairer distribution of wealth and opportunity; less certain about state intervention

Ideological families – con’t Right: Initially favoured church, monarchy, order, authority, a stratified society Today –allocation via the market –Oppose redistribution, –Prefer to reduce state involvement in the economy

Political cleavages today Divisions between left and right have become blurred; new parties have emerged Greens and other left-libertarian parties demanding post-material values, democratization, improved quality of life New Right: ambiguous – typically anti- establishment, populist, anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, anti-European Union

Types of parties Elite or caucus: party is run by a small group – the caucus – without extensive membership or membership involvement Mass: party has a mass membership, which it attempts to involve, educate and shape Catch-all: has a membership but they are rarely involved: party attempts to broaden out, represent a broad swath of society – like the aggregative or brokerage type, but with a different heritage

Examples Elite or caucusMassCatch-all Liberal Democrats (UK) Canadian parties Earlier socialist parties Social Democratic Party Germany (SPD) today Liberals, Germany (FDP) Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Germany

New types Cartel party: Distant from members Not fully competitive: willing to share power with others rather than compete fully Relies on state funding –can no longer raise sufficient funds from members The mass or catch-all party in middle age?

Calm Before the Storm? The 2007 Provincial Election and Beyond Wednesday, Oct. 24, 7-9pm, Room EN-2006 (Engineering lecture theatre – All Welcome) An engaging evening of pundits sharing their views on the 2007 election campaign, the future of the province’s political parties, and what to expect during Danny Williams’ second term as Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. Discussants: Chris O’Neill-Yates, CBC TV Christopher Dunn, Department of Political Science David Cochrane, CBC TV/radio Rob Antle, The Telegram Steven Wolinetz, Department of Political Science