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Political power is of two types - state and public. The main instrument and the main subject of the exercise of political power is a political party. The organization unites the most energetic adherents of a certain ideology or a specific leader, organizes them and serves to fight for the highest political power.
Party formation
Aiming at the conquest of political power is the principle of activity and the main structure-forming component of a political party. If an organization is fighting for power, it is a political party; if it’s not fighting, but only trying to influence it in one way or another, then this is only a socio-political movement (OPD).
In the era of the Middle Ages and early New Time, when all power belonged to the monarch, parties could not appear. Even after the monarchs allowed citizens to influence the political process, political organizations did not take on the form in which we now know them.
The famous German sociologist M. Weber saw three stages in the formation of political parties:
- Aristocratic circles (coteries) in which people gathered and discussed political issues along with issues of fashion, culture, etc. Similar circles appeared in England after the English Revolution. The Tories, conservatives, supporters of the Puritan Church and Whigs, liberals, supporters of the Church of England discussed issues in closed meetings of this kind. An example of such a circle can be considered the society that gathered at Anna Pavlovna Scherer, a character in the novel “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy.
- The second stage in the formation of political parties was represented by political clubs. They differed from coteries by the presence of membership, while all who entered the upper world could take part in the activities of aristocratic circles. The first such political club, the Charlton Club, was created by conservatives in London in 1831. After several decades, the Reform Club, created by the liberals, appeared.
- By the end of the 19th century, political clubs began to transform into mass parties, a feature of which was their focus on the conquest of political power. This is the third stage of party formation. The first such organization was created in the UK in 1861, it is considered the forerunner of the modern Labor Party of Great Britain.
The main features of political parties
The focus on the conquest of political power is a characteristic feature of a political party. To what extent can a party, perhaps not very large, really claim to be fully possessed by state power? It cannot really exercise state power, but any political party must participate in the election process and try to influence the government, otherwise it cannot be considered such.
A political party must have a structured organization, assuming the presence of ordinary members and governing bodies, as well as program documents (charter). The charter defines the goals and objectives, the procedure for adoption, the procedure for exclusion, the procedure for appointing people to senior party posts. The program should define strategic and tactical objectives, that is, the goals that the party is striving for. Aiming at the conquest of political power is the main goal of the activities of any political party, except for one that is already in power.
Another important feature is the struggle for influence among the masses. At the present stage of political development, when mass parties dominate the world, any of them seeks to increase their electorate and attract the largest number of supporters.
The difference between the party and the socio-political movement
Since the socio-political movement initially represents the interests of a particular social group, it is quite difficult for him to fight for the expansion of his influence among the masses. The OPD may not have a fixed membership at all, the governing bodies may be elected and re-elected quite often. The movement is trying to influence power, while a political party seeks to come to power. The focus on the conquest of political power is the main hallmark of a political party.
