Important issues

Important issues

1/ Does political " center" exist? [Duverger: center does not exist in politics: we may have a center party, but not a center tendency] VS [Sartori: Both, center parties as well as center tendencies exist. Moreover, it is precisely when we do not have a center party we are likely to have a center tendency]

2/ Numerical criterion: how many parties are needed to distinguish between the moderate and the polarized pluralism? [Sartori: between 5 and 6; parties have to be 'relevant', that is either with (i) coalition potential or with (ii) blackmail potential. there is no magic in the 5 and 6 numbers, the empirical consequences of these numbers are important. If this criterion fails, there is additional one – 'ideological distance' between the parties.

3/ Major traits of polarized pluralism: (i)existence of anti-system parties; (ii) bilateral opposition two counter-oppositions; (iii) the metrical center of the system is occupied; (iv) high polarization; (v) centrifugal drive (tendency); (vi) ideological patterning of the public discourse