Institutionalization of party systemsa focus on kurdistan region of iraq´s party system (1991-2016)

Abstract

ABSTRACT (ENGLISH) This study is an in-depth qualitative analysis of the nature of party system institutionalization in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. While the development of robust party systems is often perceived as crucial to industrial democracies, party systems in the Kurdistan regions similar to most of the nascent democracies have been quite slow to develop. Instead, partisan politics are characterized by, a high rate of electoral volatility, strong client-patron relationships, great extents of fragmentations, nepotism, and lack of partisan linkage between the constituencies and political elites. This thesis examines why party systems of the Kurdistan region are not institutionalized despite more than a quarter of a century of self-rule and democratic maintenance. Drawing on the accomplishments of party system institutionalization in developing democracies, the dissertation contributes to the field by developing arguments on three causal-type factors: (i) the role of structural cleavages, (ii) the institutional effects, and (iii) the foreign influences on party system institutionalization. The research addresses these issues through developing a profound investigation of Kurdistan region, as a novel work not conducted previously. In order to understand the essence of the fluidity of the polity under scrutiny thirty-three experts and elites from diverse backgrounds were interviewed. Also, data from the surveys conducted by reputable international organizations were employed, and extensive qualitative investigations were additionally done on the previous scholarly achievements. The research applied various sub-variables and indexes in order to justify the following findings; the interrelation between three causal-type factors and the impact on the fluidity of political party system of Kurdistan region. Nevertheless, the institutional weaknesses and alterations are consequences of both structural, and foreign influences.