Conceptualising Political Parties: A Normative Framework

Abstract

Political parties occupy a unique intermediate position between civil society and the public political realm and provide a hybrid and semi-institutional connection between the two domains. In this article I argue that, in order to preserve their unique and hybrid nature, political parties ought to balance partiality and unity and abide by a set of normative criteria, above all respect for party pluralism and for the institutional framework in which they operate. By complying with these criteria, political parties can convey values and interests in a way that favours democracy.