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The Legitimizing Role of Political Parties: the Second Austrian Republic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2014

Peter Pulzer
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Extract

CAN PARLIAMENTARY INSTITUTIONS THRIVE IN COUNTRIES WITH little or no tradition in the habits of self-government? Is multiparty competition viable in states where compromise is not accepted as a political virtue? The questions are familiar and are asked whenever the advisability of exporting the Westminster model (or the Capitol Hill or Palais Bourbon model) is raised.

The proposition to be examined is that a parliamentary and party system was transplanted into an initially unfavourable environment and eventually acclimatized itself. The ecological difficulties are familiar; indeed, they form the substance of the debate about the export of systems. In the Third World, at the point of decolonization it involves the former colonial power bequeathing liberal-democratic institutions as a device for legitimizing the new native regime.

Type
Articles
Information
Government and Opposition , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , 01 July 1969 , pp. 324 - 344
Copyright
Copyright © Government and Opposition Ltd 1969

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References

1 A version of this paper was presented to the Comparative Politics Panel of the Political Science Association in York, April 1969.

2 D. E. Apter, The Politics of Modernisation, p. 271, n. 4.

3 Seton-Watson, H., ‘Intellectuals and Revolution: Social Forces in Eastern Europe since 1848’ in: Pares, R. & Taylor, A. J. P. (eds.), Essays Presented to Sir Lewis Namier, pp. 399, 428.Google Scholar

4 This point is discussed by G. Loewenberg, Parliament in the German Political System, pp. 8–9, 14–15; and by R. J. Lamer, Der englische Parlamentarismus in der deutschen politischen Theorie im Zeitalter Bismarcks (1857 bis 1890). Historische Schriften, 387.

5 12 fl. =£1.

6 For Sweden, see D. A. Rustow, The Politics of Compromise. A Study of Parties and Cabinet Government in Sweden, pp. 11–12, 26–34; for the U. S. A., S. M. Lipset, The First New Nation, pp. 15–23. The evolution of parties in Britain between 1679 and 1760, though not uniformly interpreted, is no doubt the best-known example of all.

7 My definition of these ‘developmental crises’ resembles those of Verba in Pye & Verba’s op. cit., pp. 557–9 and La Palombara and Weiner in their Political Parties and Political Development, pp. 14–19. I prefer ‘incorporation’ to their ‘integration’, since integration already has an accepted meaning in political sociology, not related to territorial problems.

8 P. G. J. Pulzer, The Origins of Political Anti-Semitism in Germany and Austria, pp. 144–70.

9 For the importance of the distinction in organizational origin see, e. g. M. Duverger, Political Parties, pp. xxiv–xxxvii.

10 J. Deutsch, Geschichte der österreicbiscben Geaierkscbaftsbewegung, pp. 34–6.

11 Ibid., p. 196.

12 Calculated by A. G. Whiteside, Austrian National Socialism Before 1918, P. 35.

13 T. Kraus, Die Entstebung des niederösterreichischen Bauernbundes, Unpublished dissertation, pp. 162, 189–90; N. Miko, Die Vereinigung der Konservativen in der Cbristlich-sozialen Partei, Unpublished dissertation, p. 52.

14 M. Weber, The Theory of Social and Economic Organisation (ed. T. Parsons), pp. 328–9, 341–58.

15 P. Molisch, Geschichte der deutschnationalen Bewegung in Österreich, pp. 140–51, 182–5, 215; A. Diamant, Austrian Catholics and the First Republic. Democracy, Capitalism and the Social Order, pp. 3–69.

16 A. Wandruszka, Österreichs politische Struktur, in: H. Benedikt (ed.) Geschichte der Republik Österreicb; Diamant, A., ‘The Group Basis of Austrian Polities’, Journal of Central European Affairs, XVIII (07 1958).Google Scholar

17 O. Bauer, Die österreicbiscbe Revolution, p. 96.

18 Sartori, G., ‘European Political Parties. The Case of Polarised Pluralism’ in La Palombara & Weiner, op. cit., pp. 138–9.Google Scholar

19 Ibid., p. 155.

20 Bauer, op. cit., p. 137.

21 Statistische Nachrichten (Vienna: Bundesamt für Statistik) Sonderheft: Die Nationalratswablen vom. 9 November 1930, Tabelle 34.

22 Bauer, op. cit., pp. 126, 196–213.

23 See above, p. 329.

24 R. Michels, Political Parties. A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy (introd. S. M. Lipset), p. 80. I am grateful to Professor David Rapoport, of U. C. L. A., for his illuminating comments on this topic.

25 L. Berchtold, Ösferreichische Parteiprogramme, 1868–1966, p. 250.

26 A. Schärf, Österrekhs Wiederaufricbtung im Jahre 1945, p. 74.

27 The difficulties of assessing ÖVP membership are discussed in P. G. J. Pulzer, ‘Austria’ in J. Pinder & S. Henig (eds.) European Political Parties, in the press.

28 Sozialistische Partei Österreichs. Bericht an den Parteitag 1968, pp. 137, 130, 127.

29 K. Liepelt, ‘Esquisse d’une typologie des electeurs allemands et autrichiens,’Revue franpaise de Sociologie IX (janvier-mars 1968), pp. 16, 23.

30 A. Wandruszka, op. cit., pp. 324, 344–5; 452, 455–6.

31 Adapted from Liepelt, op. cit., pp. 18–19, P- 27 n.8.

32 Secher, H. P., ‘Representative Democracy or “Chamber State”: The Ambiguous Role of Interest Groups in Austrian Politics.’ Western Political Quarterly XIII (12 1960) pp. 892–6.Google Scholar

33 Ibid., p. 899.

34 Secher, H. P., ‘Coalition Government: The Case of the Austrian Second Republic’, American Political Science Review LII (09 1958), pp. 799–801, 805–7.Google Scholar

35 League of Independents (VdU) until 1956, Freedom Party (FPÖ) there after.

36 E. g. A. Schärf, Österreicbs Erneuerung, 1945–1955 (revised edn., 1960), p. 412. Schärf was Vice-Chancellor, 1945–57 and President, 1957–65.

37 Kafka, G. E., ‘Die verfassungsrechtliche Stellung der politischen Parteien im modernen Staat’, Veröffentlichungen der Vereinigung der deutschen Staatsrecbtslebrer, XVII (1959), p. 90.Google Scholar

38 K. L. Shell, The Transformation of Austrian Socialism, pp. 126–58.

39 H. Magenschab, Die zweite Republik zwischen Kirche und Parteien, passim.

40 For 1966: K. Blecha & H. Kienzl, ‘Österreichs Wahler sind in Bewegung’, Die Zukunft, May 1966, p. 26; for 1962: K. Blecha, H. Kienzl & R. Gmoser, Der durchleuchtete Wähler. Beiträge zur politischen Sozologie in Österreich, p. 37.

41 Winter, E. F., ‘Bilanz der Nachkriegszeit Österreichs’, Politiscbe Studien 178, 03–04 1968, p. 184.Google Scholar