Particracy has been widely used to describe Belgian politics after World War II. Yet, Belgian politics has changed. We examine five changes – the federalisation of the state architecture, diversification of the demos, erosion of political support, party’s dealignment and personalisation of politics – to evaluate how they have affected particracy in Belgium. The answer is twofold: particracy is still very strong, but it has changed. The three traditional party families that had institutionalised particracy in Belgium (Christian-democrats, socialists and liberals) had to face new challengers. They co-opted the most moderate ones (greens, regionalists), while excluding others (radical right/left). Intraparty democracy/participatory/transparency reforms, or changes to the electoral system, all of them opening the political system, were also implemented, but parties were able to overcome them. Yet, the ever-growing gap between traditional parties and citizens and the growth of new parties building upon voters’ dissatisfaction with traditional parties, may put particracy more radically into question. |
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Introduction |
De macht van partijen in België sinds 1981 – particratie revisited |
Auteurs | Karel Van Nieuwenhuyse, Stefaan Fiers en Frederik Verleden |
Auteursinformatie |
Article |
Ze halen hun slag wel thuisOver particratie en het aanpassingsvermogen van Belgische partijen |
Trefwoorden | dealignment, electoral support, federalism, gender, particracy, personalisation |
Auteurs | Jean-Benoit Pilet en Petra Meier |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Article |
Twee handen op één buik?Hoe en waarom de mediatisering van de Vlaamse politiek en particratie hand in hand gaan |
Trefwoorden | mediatisation, particracy, media logic |
Auteurs | Peter Van Aelst |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
There is a growing consensus that politics have become mediatised. News media have become more independent and are more guided by their own routines and standards and less by what political actors deem important. However, this paper argues that this has not led to a decrease of the power of political parties. In Belgium, particracy and mediatisation seem to go hand in hand. There are mainly two reasons for this. Firstly, media attention focuses heavily on politicians with power and in that sense, media logic and party logic overlap. Secondly, parties have adjusted well to the media and their logic, among others by integrating journalists in the party organisation. We expect that social media will gradually become more important for politicians, but that this evolution too will change little to the central position of political parties in our democracy. |
Essay |
La Belgique confédérale wil unitair beleid voeren zonder democratie |
Auteurs | Wilfried Dewachter |
Auteursinformatie |
Symposium |
Politicologie hoeft niet ten dienste te staan van de politici |
Auteurs | Kris Deschouwer |
Auteursinformatie |
Symposium |
Relatie politicologie-politiek is veranderd, maar niet verslechterd |
Auteurs | Stefaan Walgrave |
Auteursinformatie |
Symposium |
De revolutie eet haar eigen kinderen op |
Auteurs | Marc Hooghe |
Auteursinformatie |
Symposium |
Waarom Dewachter gelijk heeft |
Auteurs | Bart Maddens |
Auteursinformatie |
Symposium |
Politicologie en politici, twee aparte werelden |
Auteurs | Carl Devos |
Auteursinformatie |
Symposium |
Slechts nu en dan een bui |
Auteurs | Joop van Holsteyn |
Auteursinformatie |
Research Note |
Het potentieel van denktanks als strategische partner in beleidsvorming |
Auteurs | Bert Fraussen en Darren Halpin |
Auteursinformatie |
Research Note |
Parlementarisering als tweerichtingsverkeerEen verklaring voor voorafgaande parlementaire consultatie bij militaire operaties |
Auteurs | Daan Fonck en Yf Reykers |
Auteursinformatie |