INTRODUCTION

This book answers the question of why a party system with a modest number of nationally oriented political parties emerges in some democracies but not others. This question is of considerable importance given the staggering number of countries struggling with democratic consolidation in the wake of the so-called third wave of democratization. The question of how and why certain party systems emerge is equally relevant for a number of older democracies where perceived weaknesses in existing party systems have generated proposals for political-institutional reform (e.g. Great Britain, Italy, and Japan). As E. E. Schattschneider argued more than sixty years ago, the party system is in many ways the keystone of any effort to construct a well-functioning democracy (1942). Yet among the numerous tasks involved in the transition to and consolidation of democracy, the building of an effective and supportive party system has arguably proved the most difficult and elusive. Indeed, the sentiment of the Thai politician quoted above would resonate in many democracies across the globe, whether developing or developed (see Carothers 2006).

If an enduring and effective party system is a necessary condition for an enduring and effective democracy, it is essential that we understand how and why such party systems develop (or fail to develop).