The uncertain future of political parties

Dr. Felix Heidenreich, International Center for Culture and Technological Research (IZKT), University of Stuttgart

People have long complained about the development of “party states”. A long-running disenchantment with politicians and politics, and particularly with political parties has become a constant theme. A comparison of various countries shows that political parties in all established democracies are undergoing a process of transformation, the results of which are not yet fully known. Will strong top-down “movements” really replace member-based parties? What effect will this trend have on the functionality of representative democracy? This lecture will focus on the findings of comparative research.