Bloc 1: Introduction to theory of entrepreneurial parties

Content: In this introductory lecture, students will get familiarised with the theory concerning various models of party organization. Presentation will start by differentiating between different party organizational types. Then the bloc will turn into a seminar discussion. Students will be expected to discuss the specific differences and definitions of five different party types by organization - cadre parties, mass parties, catch-all parties, cartel parties and business-firm parties. When and in which countries were different types of these parties mostly present? What are the examples of these parties? The debate will continue with the looking at detailed definition of business-firm party and discussion concerning the difference between business-firm party and its sub-category entrepreneurial party. The emphasis will be on the difference of entrepreneurial/business-firm parties from the four other party organizational models of parties.

Required literature:

Katz, Richard and Mair, Peter (1995) Changing models of party organization and party democracy: The emergence of the cartel party. Party Politics, 1: 5–28.

Krouwel, André (2006) Party Models. In Katz, Richard and Crotty, William (Eds.) (2006) Handbook of Party Politics, London, Sage Publications.

Hloušek Vít (2012) Věci veřejné: politické podnikání strany typu firmy. Czech Journal of Political Science, (4): 322–340.

Hloušek, Vít and Kopeček, Lubomír (2017) Entrepreneurial Parties: A Basic Conceptual Framework. Czech Journal of Political Science, 2:83-91.

Recommended additional literature:

Bolleyer, Nicole (2009) Inside the cartel party: Party organization in government and opposition. Political Studies, 57(3): 559–579.

Duverger, Maurice (1954) Political Parties: Their Organization and Activity in the Modern State, London, Methuen.

Katz, Richard and Mair, Peter (1996) Cadre, catch-all or cartel? A Rejoinder. Party Politics, 2(4): 525–34.

Bloc 2: Entrepreneurial parties, their ideology and presence in European different countries

Content: In this bloc, students will start with a presentation about different examples of entrepreneurial parties across the EU. The focus will be on the types of countries where these types of parties are more prevalent. Students will be expected to speculate why that is the case and elaborate on the reasons behind this and defend their arguments.

Students will also be presented with the key characteristics of entrepreneurial parties. Then the bloc will turn into a seminar discussion. The moderated discussion of students will focus on the unique role of political entrepreneur. What are the unique aspects of entrepreneurial parties and what role does the political entrepreneur play in them? The entrepreneurial party model is defined on the basis of party organization, but can we see any signs of similar party ideology between these parties? Are there any similarities in regards to these parties´ ideology and rhetoric? What role does populism play for this party organizational type of entrepreneurial parties?

Required literature:

Hloušek, Vít, Kopeček, Lubomír and Vodová, Petra (2020) Political Entrepreneurs and Their Parties: Conceptual and Typological Issues In Hloušek, Vít, Kopeček, Lubomír and Vodová, Petra (2020) The Rise of Entrepreneurial Parties in European Politics, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan.

Buštíková, Lenka and Guasti, Petra (2018) The State as a Firm: Understanding the Autocratic Roots of Technocratic Populism. East European Politics and Societies and Cultures, 33 (2): 302-330.

Recommended additional literature:

Kosowska-Gastol, Beata and Sobolewska-Myslik, Katarzyna (2017) New Political Entrepreneurs in Poland. Czech Journal of Political Science, 2:137-157.

Havlík, Vlastimil and Pinková, Aneta, et al. (2012) Populist Political Parties in East-Central Europe, Brno, Muni Press.

Učeň, Peter (2004) Centrist populism as a new competitive and mobilization strategy in Slovak politics. Party Government in Slovakia: Experience and Perspectives, 27(1):49-62.

Stanley, Ben (2008) The Thin Ideology of Populism. Journal of Political Ideologies, 13(1): 95–110.

Bloc 3: Entrepreneurial parties, financing, media and public presentment:

Content: In this bloc, students will focus on the public presentment of different entrepreneurial parties. In preparation for this class, students will be expected to prepare for debate about the role of party marketing experts, their use by entrepreneurial parties and the way these parties present themselves publicly. Another part of the presentation and subsequent discussions in this bloc will be related to party financing of entrepreneurial parties. The discussion will focus on the role that the availability of party funding provided by the political entrepreneur may have for the party. Especially what the impact of such private funding may have at the initial phase of party establishment, and how can it affect the position of political entrepreneur within the party organization.

Simultaneously, the presentations in this bloc will tackle on the question of political entrepreneurs´ ownership of media outlets/access/influence on different types of media. Then the bloc will turn into a seminar discussion. The main focus in the moderated discussion will be on the following questions: What are the dangers behind the concentration of different types of power by a single institution/individual (media power, political power, economic power)? How can the ownership/influence on/preferential access to media by some political actors affect the political competition? What are the potential consequences on elections? What is the potential influence on the quality of democracy/democratic development?

Required literature:

Van Biezen, Ingrid (2004) Political Parties as Public Utilities. Party Politics, 10(6): 701-722.

Römmele, Andrea (2003) Political Parties, Party Communication and New Information and Communication Technologies. Party Politics, 9(1): 7-20.

Statham, Paul (1996) Berlusconi, the Media, and the New Right in Italy. Press/Politics, 1(1): 87-105.

Hloušek, Vít, Kopeček, Lubomír and Vodová, Petra (2020) The Party as a Spin-off from a Business Empire In Hloušek, Vít, Kopeček, Lubomír and Vodová, Petra (2020) The Rise of Entrepreneurial Parties in European Politics, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan.

Bloc 4: Entrepreneurial parties and their party organization

Content: In this bloc, students will first have a presentation about different case studies of specific entrepreneurial parties and their approach to party organization – specifically, their party leadership, party membership strategies, local party organization and party elite. Then the bloc will turn into a seminar discussion. Students will lead a moderated discussion about the different party organizational features of these types of parties. The main questions concerning this bloc is how are entrepreneurial parties functioning within and what does that tell us about their perception of internal party democracy? What is the role of political entrepreneur within the party organization and how do they influence the functioning of the party?

Required literature:

Hopkin, Jonathan and Paolucci, Caterina (1999) The business firm model of party organization: Cases from Spain and Italy. European Journal of Political Research, 35(3): 307–339.

Cirhan, Tomáš and Kopecký, Petr (2017) Career Backgrounds, Professional Network and Party Cohesion. Czech Journal of Political Science, 2:116-136.

Cirhan, Tomáš and Stauber, Jakub (2018) Online Supporter and Registered Sympathiser as Alternatives to a Regular Party Member. East European Politics, 34(4): 458–482.

Hloušek, Vít, Kopeček, Lubomír and Vodová, Petra (2020) Entrepreneurial Parties Without Firms and Without Members In Hloušek, Vít, Kopeček, Lubomír and Vodová, Petra (2020) The Rise of Entrepreneurial Parties in European Politics, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan.

Recommended additional literature:

Mazzoleni, Oscard and Voerman, Gerrit (2016) Memberless parties: Beyond the business-firm party model? Party Politics, 23(6): 1-10.

Dalton, Russell and Wattenberg, Martin (2002). Parties Without Partisans: Political Change in Advanced Industrial Democracies, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Tavits, Margit (2013) Post-Communist Democracies and Party Organization, New York, Cambridge University Press.

Bloc 5: Presentations of students:

Content: In this bloc, students will present a case study of an entrepreneurial party of their choice (depending on the number of students this may be in a group of 2 students). The presentations will aim to improve a concrete understanding of how a specific entrepreneurial party functions internally. Students will analyse a party of their choice, how it operates, what rights do the part