Party Organization in a Multi-level System: Party Organizational Change in Spain and the UK

This article investigates the link between regionalization of the structure of government, regional elections and regionalism on the one hand, and the organization of state-wide political parties in Spain and the UK on the other. It particularly looks at two aspects of the relations between the cent...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Regional & federal studies 2008-08, Vol.18 (4), p.309-329
Main Author:	Fabre, Elodie
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Devolution Elections Intergovernmental Relations Multi-level governance multi-level systems Organizational change Organizational Structure Party leadership Party organization Political Parties Regionalism Regionalization Spain State structure United Kingdom
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	This article investigates the link between regionalization of the structure of government, regional elections and regionalism on the one hand, and the organization of state-wide political parties in Spain and the UK on the other. It particularly looks at two aspects of the relations between the central and regional levels of party organization: integration of the regional branches in central decision making and autonomy of the regional branches. It argues that the party factors are the most crucial elements explaining party change and that party leaders mediate between environmental changes and party organization. The parties' history and beliefs and the strength of the central leadership condition their ability or willingness to facilitate the emergence of meso-level elites. The institutional and electoral factors are facilitating factors that constitute additional motives for or against internal party decentralization.
ISSN:	1359-7566 1743-9434