This chapter unpacks internal dynamics of political parties and introduces a factional theory of party behavior. The central assertion is that political parties are factional coalitions with different perspectives on political issues. The aim herein is twofold. First, the chapter traces how individual preferences aggregate into group preferences in the form of factional politics. Second, it explores the conditions under which one faction prevails over others. This chapter thus offers a theory of coalition-building within political parties by identifying different types of incentive structures and organizational resources. Factions strive for control over such resources to capture and control the party. Once they form a dominant coalition, they align the party’s trajectory with their own worldview. This chapter builds on the existing studies of behavioral and ideological change to address the issue of aggregation and fill the gap in the literature. It concludes with a brief discussion of these dynamics in the AKP, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Ennahda.

This chapter offers a new theory about the conditions under which gender quotas are most likely to matter for policy outcomes. Building on Mansbridge’s concept of “uncrystallized interests”, I argue that when new policy demands cut across the main left-right (class-based) policy dimension, and the group demanding change faces high barriers to entry in politics, the result is that these issues are often ignored. Parties have little incentive to address issues that cut across the main left-right dimension in politics because they distract from core issues and divide key constituencies. If the groups that support these issues are underrepresented in parties and lack the resources to form a new party, the result is what I call a political market failure -- the issue remains off the agenda. Gender quotas prevent the political dominance of men, and they also signal a new commitment to gender-related concerns. I suggest that quotas are most likely to lead to policy change on those “uncrystallized” issues characterized by: 1) a gender gap in preferences, and; 2) cross-cutting support. The chapter then spells out three main mechanisms through which quotas lead to policy change: factions, ministers, and salience. The final section outlines key assumptions and scope conditions.