The Party of the Future

The slow death of traditional politics – and the birth of new movements for change

In most developed democracies political parties are no longer the pre-eminent mechanism for the expression of political opinion. The traditional mass-membership ‘catch-all’ model of party politics is in steady decline across Europe, with parties struggling to comprehend the increasingly complex web of values and expectations that people now hold. As Kathryn Perera, chief executive of The Movement for Change, outlines in a new essay contribution to the Policy Network and Center for American Progress “The Party of the Future” series, the key challenge for parties in this era of sophisticated individualism is to recognise peoples’ desire for individuality and to offer a sense of belonging and identity, constructed within political communities, interest groups and local spaces. Perera asks not just whether mass membership political parties are sustainable but whether they are also desirable. She then sets out how progressives can build new movements for change which will allow people to “do politics” in the twenty-first century. The challenge is to confront the obvious contrast between “the active consumer and the passive citizen”, which too often defines the western context. While, in the aftermath of the Italian general election where half of the voters for the Partito Democratico (PD) were over 55, Umberto Marengo argues that modern political parties need to learn to speak and interact directly with citizens in real time. Reforming the party apparatus, targeting “outsiders”, and focusing on long term engagement campaigns that maintain support in the period between elections, are the key elements for success.

Reprinted from: The Policy Network