Session: Session 4 / Grand Ballroom I
Date/Time: May 1, 2013 / 09:00-10:15

Panel Description

Although institutionalized party systems can often seem impervious to change, they remain vulnerable to shifts in circumstance that threaten their base of support. Parties depend on voter loyalty for power and legitimacy. Societal change, however, creates uncertainty among the electorate that can often lead to switching parties. When voting patterns change, political parties compete to understand, diagnose, and respond by crafting a policy agenda that secures their base of support. The recent international economic crisis brought to the fore fundamental changes that are occurring. Patterns of growth in the global economy, demographic shifts, the introduction of new technologies into politics, and other socio-political transformations are challenging political parties to adapt.

Guiding Questions

1. 1. What are the major economic, technological, and socio-political trends that have forced parties to react?
2. 2. What strategies have parties developed for responding to changing socio-economic circumstances?
3. 3. Have parties developed new or different ways of mobilizing and maintaining power?