Work

Within-country determinants of political party structures: Similarity-based analysis of Polish party statutes

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We seek to explain within-country determinants of political party structures. However, unlike most scholars in the field, who start with hypotheses connecting specific structural features with specific explanatory variables (e.g., ideology, party age), we instead seek to explain overall structural similarity in terms of such variables. This allows us to determine whether the latter have an effect on party structures, even if we have no a priori hypotheses about what exactly this effect is. In the paper, we first introduce a new measure of structural similarity of political parties, based on their formal institutional arrangements reflected in their statutes. Then, using a dataset of Polish party statutes, and following the similarity-based hypothesis testing approach, we verify hypotheses about party structures being determined by ideology, party age, time of observation, as well as legislative and electoral experience of party candidates.

Source: Party Politics

DOI: 10.1177/13540688251400233

Authors: Dariusz Stolicki, Beata Kosowska-Gąstoł, Katarzyna Sobolewska-Myślik

Institutions: Jagiellonian University, University of Opole, Institute of Political Science

Language: English

Topic: Electoral Systems and Political Participation

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650