The workshop seeks to provide an epistemological yet empirically grounded reflection on the field of democratic politics. Specifically, it will address three key questions: (1) are we witnessing a decline in the centrality of parties as the primary focus of democratic politics research?, (2) does this indicate the need for a paradigm shift, or is it merely an extension of the existing paradigm to include 'anomalies'?, and, perhaps more intriguingly, (3) if the 'party paradigm' is in decline, what should replace it?
As scholars who have spent decades working within the boundaries of the party paradigm, it is crucial that we critically examine the foundational assumptions that have shaped our research. Such an investigation can offer valuable insights not only to those studying parties but also to related fields such as comparative institutions, legislative studies, electoral and coalitional politics, and democratic innovations. In addition, the research presented at this workshop will be of interest to scholars who study the epistemological, theoretical, philosophical, and sociological foundations of political science.
Elstub, Stephen, and Oliver Escobar (2019) Handbook of Democratic Innovations and Governance. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Friedman, Avital, and Gideon Rahat (Forthcoming) "The Elections in Israel Book Series as a Test Case: Does the Research Reflect the Personalization of Israeli Politics or Does It Adhere to the Party Politics Paradigm?" in Gideon Rahat, Noam Gidron and Michal Shamir (eds.), The Elections in Israel 2022.
Gerbaudo, Paulo (2019) The Digital Party: Political Organisation and Online Democracy. London: Pluto Press.
Kuhn, Thomas S. (1962) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Pearson, Sidney E. (2004) "Transaction Introduction: E. E. Schattschneider and the Quarrel Over Parties," in American Democracy in Party Government: American Government in Action. New York: Routledge, pp. ix-lviii.
Petrov, Jan (2023) (De-)judicialization of politics in an era of populism: lessons from Central and Eastern Europe. London: Routledge.
Rahat, G., 2024. "Collegial versus personal political parties," in C. Friedberg and Godeon Rahat (eds.) Collegial Democracy versus Personal Democracy: 'We' the People or 'I' the People? pp. 16-40.
Sikk, Allan, and Philipp Köker (2023) Party People: Candidates and Party Evolution Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schattschneider, Elmer (1942/2004) Party Government: American Government in Action. New York: Routledge.
1: How did the party paradigm become so entrenched?
2: Is the party paradigm still central to the field, both theoretically and empirically, or is its influence waning?
3: Are parties still the dominant actors in democratic processes, or have other forces begun to take precedence?
4: Can the paradigm be stretched, or is it becoming an impediment to understanding contemporary democratic trends?
5: Is the field of democratic politics ready for a paradigm shift, and what would be the implications?
1: critical examinations of the merits and limitations to working within the party paradigm
2: whether the party paradigm still serves as a valuable framework for our understanding of democratic politics
3: explorations of potential alternative paradigms (also from other disciplines)
4: investigations of both the historical emergence and the evolution of the party paradigm
5: computerized analyses of large bodies of research
6: variety of methodological approaches, including single case studies, focused comparisons, and large-N studies
7: assessments of the present status of the party paradigm
