The Role of Political Parties in Building Resilience in an Age of Democratic Decline
Funder: The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)
PI: Dr Fernando Casal Bertoa
Duration: February-July 2023
Assistant Professor Fernando Casal Bertoa has received funding from the WFD to undertake this project on preventing democratic backsliding.
The malfunctioning (especially in terms of representation, mobilisation, and accountability) of traditional political parties is at the core of the crisis of modern representative democracy. To the point that the crisis of mainstream parties can be considered to have a more significant role in populists’ and other anti-establishment parties’ electoral success than socio-economic transformations such as globalisation and secularisation.
For that reason, it is essential that, in order to revitalise political party assistance, and make it effective and relevant to prevent further democratic backsliding, we address the problem at its core. By examining various party dimensions (e.g. internal democracy, party ethics, electoral integrity and funding, gender representation), the project looks at the way Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) party aid programs could be improved, making recommendations based on good practices and international standards.
The project will run until July 2023.