Political parties play an important role
in European societies. Parties are institutions in which citizens with similar political views, developers organize programs and policies to actively participate in the political process. They are vital for democracy because parties offer the most clear political choices are made that the electorate. Parties recruitment organization of parliamentarians and government members are originating. While most new features are important to the overall performance of countries is closely linked to the first characteristic: their community anchors – the main track between a country and its citizens. In this respect, political parties have been drastically reduced.
death of political parties is not a new phenomenon. Since at least 1980, all parties established democracies in Europe have suffered huge losses for membership, where they maintain only a very limited capacity to engage citizens. anchor of society for political parties is seriously threatened. Vernon Bogdanor wrote of in 2006 that “the history of the rise and fall of mass political party is one of the greatest books of our time unwritten.” So why should we take this very old problem again in 2009? Not because I want to write an obituary of mass political party, but since we can now see where the development of political parties can lead you. This potential new future became clear during the presidential campaign addition américaine.Enremarkable personal qualities, Barack Obama – during the primaries of the Democratic presidential campaign and even now as a sitting president – has been very successful in use of new communication technologies to connect directly with citizens.
Using social networking tools, video messaging and online updates almost in real time what happened during the election campaign – and many of these tools available to its supporters – I can create a community which was not only ready to vote for him but willing to organize and campaign locally. Could create a political movement that now I can build.construction of this movement is largely possible because the new communication technology offers a way to actively campaign for change. But if you look behind the technical means, if you notice that the Obama campaign was able to recreate the old, rather than creating new ones, which offers traditional European countries, particularly with regard to the left of center parties have lost over the years: a sense of community and belonging.
Let’s oldest social democratic party in the world, such as the German SPD. When the party was founded in 1863, his spine was designed to introduce new employees in the education of the league. In the cultural aspect and the Community is not all cases, so just product, but very fundamental principle of the party. As a social democrat, not a question of membership in the organization but rather a way of life. The identity of the party was fueled by the wide variety of social democratic newspapers and publications that have contributed to a separate culture. Cultural foundations of political parties were also in another place and it seems that this attribute is especially being used to provide the nearest unit of the company to have fallen dramatically in recent decades. It is said,Because of ideological and social changes in societies in the second half of the twentieth century, mass parties – rather homogeneous structures – Catch-all developed countries have tried to integrate this diversity of political views and social classes of citizens under the auspices of the same party. Today, many parts are similar to what political scientists call the electoral professional parties. These parties are organizations that have a strong centralized leadership and focus on winning votes and offices. They have largely abandoned the cultural heritage of traditional political parties. “The election is the professional side nearest typology of American political parties are virtually WHIC committees on elections with low turnout between newsletters. They are very centered applicant organization and lack of leadership.
So what’s new, which can lead the way in which political parties can go from here? What has changed during the Obama campaign? In short, Obama has managed to recreate the Community aspects of the old parties and the media they integrated into a professional electoral party. In the modern context, however, culture does not mean life, but rather part of a community based on a charismatic political leader, new political ideas and a desire for grassroots activism. creation of this new culture the Obama campaign was made possible by using new media. So, after he has turned the economy and how we communicate with one another, it is information and communication technologies (ICT) is now a radical change in the political process as well? I think there are strong arguments in favor of the success of Obama is proof.
What does this mean for European countries? Socio-economic and ideological believes that circumstances have changed drastically since the founding of Citizens of European countries at the beginning, political activism does not disappear, however. success of single-issue movements such as Greenpeace, Amnesty International and critics of globalization Attac clearly shows unwavering desire for political activism. Some of these movements into political parties have even increased their own itself, such as gold German Greens – the political agenda quite different -. Independence Party UK (UKIP) So the first ingredient – desire for political activity is still there. But how can be used? European parties have tried for decades to open up their structures and social movements to be used for community activism Their partisan purposes. They are all largely failed so far because their strategies are uncle and their structures are often too rigid. Waking the potential of new technologies and experience of the Obama campaign, however, permits must try and try harder. Ultimately, the only alternative seems to be a further reduction . first steps to use new technologies have been taken, but it remains to be done. Europe as a whole is clearly behind the U.S. in terms of integrating the Internet into everyday life, including politics. But it can also be an opportunity for a country that first place with a successful combination of technologies to the European context. The second ingredient is the policy, which can capture ideas and motivate people. current economic crisis has opened a window of opportunity for new policy. have a vacuum of ideas, as the promise of prosperity facilitated by unlimited markets collapsed with the international banking sector. This vacuum has not yet been filled. In the case of Obama’s promise was simple enough to create a historical turning movement. It is a narrow window of opportunities since the economic crisis and in the specific context of the policy of the United States. If the movement is to become a permanent historical need to bring new positive ideas. President Obama has understood this and have a connection to the nearest kept his followers even after he took office. way that encourages discussion of her salon’s economic recovery plan in the United States is a remarkable gesture in combination with the desire of political activism happy. sense of belonging and potential activism created by the “Got email from the time the President should not be underestimated.
last ingredient in the mix, he’s charismatic leadership. The first trial of online campaigns in Europe have shown that it is very difficult to build a mass political participation in an online campaign, if not attractive policy appears at the top. Countries where the vehicle is a rather inadequate for such campaigns. Identification becomes much easier if people are involved. So if European political culture is developing in the direction in September in the U.S. is more likely that the policy became personalized and political ideas, focused in the implementation of some politicians.political parties are in decline for decades without finding a way to stop their fall. The revolution in information and communication technology is here to stay and have already transformed many areas of our lives. Obama campaign in the U.S. are refurbished and is certainly an important example to watch. But the question is how these developments may be working in European political party. “Copy and paste” And just will not work. But the revival of political culture and activism in the use of new technologies is the most promising opportunity for the merchant to change the fate of political parties. Given the alternative it is certainly worth a try.
