The Importance of Parties and Party System Institutionalization in New Democracies

This paper discusses the importance of parties and party systems in new democracies. Scholars have long touted the importance of political parties and stable party system for new democracies, which are in the process of consolidating their regimes. Robert Dix writes that ?institutionalization of parties and party systems is crucial in the maintenance of the tenuous new democracies.? (1992, p. 490). Recently, anti-system politicians have been on the rise, political parties have been heavily attacked and associated with ?old politics? and party fragmentation has increased. Scholars have asked whether or not you can have democracy without political parties. This paper focuses on how important parties are to functioning democracies, and also highlights the importance of stable party systems to new democracies.