Comparative Party Systems in East Central Europe
Comparative Party Systems in East Central Europe

Summary/Abstract: Giovanni Sartori developed in ‘70s a famous and comprehensive theory of political party systems that combined two variables: the number of parties in National Assembly (Parliament) and the style (behaviour) of those parties. According to this approach, he elaborated six major types of party systems: 1. Single-party system, when only one party is allowed (right or left, fascist or communist) such as the Communist Parties in East Central Europe, between 1948 and 1989; 2. Hegemonic party system, where other political parties are permitted and can participate in the general elections, but one party is strongly predominant, as in Mexico for the past 65 years; 3. Predominant party system, in which there are some competing parties but one party gains the majority of votes and governs alone a long period of time (at least four consecutive elections), but can be and finally is defeated by the opposition parties, as happened in Sweden, Ireland or Japan; 4. Two party system, a very competitive system (UK, USA, Australia) in which there is alternation of single-party governments between those two parties; 5. Moderate pluralism, where three to five relevant parties with coalescent behaviour tend to form bipolar, centre-right versus centre-left governmental coalitions or two of three parties. Almost all parties are potential coalition partners. Electorate’s preferences are generally, speaking, centrist and party competition is centripetal (moving to the centre). Example: Germany. 6. Polarised pluralism, when there are usually more than five parties, with significant "ideological distance" between them.

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