POLITICS
Why Political Parties Fail
AUTUMN FN115
Mondays
Tutor: Conor Mulvagh
Elections usually witness either a confirmation of the status quo or a changing of the guard. However, on rare occasions parties suffer electoral annihilation: where a political party is all but wiped off the electoral map and from which recovery is either slow or impossible. Historically, there are several ways in which this process has occurred. This course intends to examine these, using both Irish and international precedents. In an era of political instability, a study such as this is timely, and will provide informed debate on events that are likely to occur in various European states.
While political parties, both large and small, have suffered major electoral shocks in recent elections, this is by no means a new phenomenon. Two major case studies will be the collapse of the Irish Parliamentary Party in the wake of Sinn Féin in the 1918 General Election and the gradual replacement of the British Liberal party by the ascending Labour party in the 1920s. In addition, other case studies in collapse will be examined, including the failure of junior coalition partners in Ireland, from Clann na Poblachta to the more recent demise of the Progressive Democrats and the Green party.
As an element of this course, a visit to the Houses of the Oireachtas will be arranged. This will give an insight into the arena in which so many parties have experienced the highs and lows of political life.
| BELFIELD | ||
| 10 Mondays |
Sep 24, Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, Nov 5, 12, 19, 26, Dec 3 (No class Oct 29) |
7.30pm - 9.30pm |
|
FEE €190 |
Print Open Learning Application Form 2012.13 or ring (01) 716 7123 for Laser/ Credit Card payment |
Tutor Details:
Conor Mulvagh has just completed a PhD in the School of History and Archives: Sit, act, and vote: the political evolution of the Irish Parliamentary Party at Westminster, 1900-1918 (supervisors: Professors Diarmaid Ferriter and Michael Laffan) he has previously researched, published and taught on various aspects of Irish and international history including the Catholic Church, political printing, paramilitarism in Ireland, and commemoration. He holds a Masters from Trinity College Dublin.
Provisional list of key topics to be covered:
- Case studies: types of collapse
- Death from within: corruption, clientalism, and cronyism
- Usurpation: young Turks and radicals
- Presiding over failure: economic collapse and failure by association
- The crisis of regionalism: new tactics, new party
- Coalition and junior parties: the poison chalice?
- Evolve or expire: keeping up with public opinion
Who is the course for?
This course will be of interest to anyone with an interest in history, politics, or current affairs. Lectures and seminars will be presented in an accessible manner with analysis of both Irish and international precedents.
Reading List:
The following is a selection of recommended texts for those interested in reading further around the course content. We advise that you do not buy books in advance of the course as your tutor will discuss the list and suggest the most relevant reading for particular interests.
Caramani, Daniele (ed.), Comparative politics (2nd ed., Oxford, 2011).
Duverger, Maurice. Political parties: their organization and activity in the modern state (3rd English ed., London 1964, original, Paris, 1951).
Hosking, Geoffrey, and Anthony King. ‘Radicals and Whigs in the British Liberal Party, 1906-1914’ in William O. Aydelotte (ed.), The History of Parliamentary Behaviour (Princeton, 1977), p. 136-158.
Katz, Richard S. and Peter Mair. ‘Changing models of party organization and party democracy: the emergence of the cartel party’ in Party politics (Jan. 1995) vol. 1, no. 1, pp 5-28.
Mair, Peter, Wolfgang C. Müller and Fritz Plasser (eds). Political parties and electoral change: party responses to electoral markets (London, 2004).
McCullagh, David. A makeshift majority: the first inter-party government, 1948-51 (Dublin, 1998).
Michels, Robert. Political parties: a sociological study of the oligarchical tendencies (London, 1968, original English ed., 1915).
Ostrogorski, Moisei. Democracy and the organization of political parties, ed. Seymour Martin Lipset (New Brunswick, 1982, original, London, 1902).
Sartori, Giovanni. Parties and party systems: a framework for analysis (Cambridge, 1976).
