Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The behavior of state-wide political parties in subnational political systems is a largely ignored topic in the party literature, despite the widespread trend towards decentralization in Western Europe. This paper formulates and illustrates a framework to study this phenomenon. It identifies strategic dilemmas faced by national parties, and the organizational and policy choices these parties have to make. Then, it formulates hypotheses about a number of factors influencing these choices: party history, regional characteristics, dual identities, constitutional structure, country size, position in the national party system, strategies of other parties, and leadership. The second part of the paper illustrates this framework through a case study of the Socialist party in Catalonia (PSC-PSOE). This party has clearly been confronted with the identified dilemmas, and its strategic choices and successes have varied over time. Influential factors in these choices have been the ongoing decentralization of the Spanish state, and regional party leadership.
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