PLSC 485a Reading Guide
Week XIII. 4/25 - 4/27. Party Finance
Pollock, James, Money and Politics Abroad New York: Alfred A. Knopf 1932.
Chapters 1, and 20
Compare Pollock's argument about the need for money with Michels' argument about the Iron law of Oligarchy. How are the arguments similar? Is modern democracy possible without money? When does the author think that money becomes "corrupting"? How can the corrupt influence of money be controlled or reduced?
Rosa Mulé Financial Uncertainties of Party Formation and Consolidation in Britain, Germany, and Italy: the early years in theoretical perspective. in Burnell and Ware eds. Funding Democratization. Manchester University Press: 1998.
How did the source of funding affect the structure of political parties in Britain, Italy and Germany? Which types of funding give influence to party members and activists? Which benefit party leaders? Which benefit external pressure groups?
Karl Heinz Nassmacher Structure and Impact of Public Subsidies to Political Parties in Europe: The Examples of Austria, Italy, Sweden, and West Germany. in Herbert Alexander ed. Comparative Political Finance in the 1980's. Cambridge University Press 1989.
How has public financing of political parties in these countries affected the internal politics of parties? How has it affected the party systems? Are there any effects which were expected, but did not materialize?