Mass and Cartel Parties: Sources of Theory for Interpreting the Development of ČSSD and KSČM in 2000-2010
2012
Abstract
This publication presents the results of research on the development of ČSSD (the Social Democratic Party) and KSČM (the Communist Party) in the Czech Republic over the first decade of the 21st century (2000-2010). The research was guided by 2 basic questions.
First, how have ČSSD and KSČM changed over the past decade and how can they be categorised. Second, how can the observed change be explained (the authors aimed to trace the more general and direct causes of the change, the exact course of change, and its timing).
It was also the aim to find the common points of the change and role of the party (namely ČSSD) in the policy making process. Authors drew on cartel party theory (Katz, Mair) and multi-stream theory (Kingdon, Zahariadis).