1. Post-Communist Party Systems and the Quality of Democracy.
- Author
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Feşnic, Florin and Ghindar, Angelica
- Subjects
- *
DEMOCRACY , *POLITICAL parties , *POSTCOMMUNISM , *POSTCOMMUNIST societies - Abstract
We present a theory about the institutional determinants and the political consequences of party systems. We look at a select number of cases drawn from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. We argue that the party system format is a central determinant of democratic quality. In turn, institutional engineering largely shapes the party system. Parliamentary systems and party list proportional representation are more conducive to a strong party system with competitive, programmatic and institutionalized political parties, and consequently to a better democratic quality. In order to show this, we take a closer look at a subset of post-Communist polities, those with a majority Orthodox population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
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