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1. RUNNING A PARTY
INTRODUCTION
Social Democratic parties aim to change society in correspondence with the ideology. The
bases for the parties are democratic grass roots movements and so their organizational
focus is on developing strong local structures with active members. In a democracy,
political parties play a specific role in the foundation of a broader civil society. It is
important both for the parties themselves and for other civil society groups to understand
this. Political parties, especially those in power, are often seen to represent the Cabinet and
its politics but not the people on the ground. It is therefore fundamental for a Social
Democratic Party to build truly democratic structures and to ensure that these work
correctly, democratically and inclusively.
Political parties are the only bodies that 1) take part in law-making and other decisions that
influence all citizens, and 2) can be held accountable for their decisions and be removed
from power by the citizens in free and fair democratic elections.
There is an overall tendency in the world for parties to become election machineries rather
than popular movements, meaning members and supporters are only active when election
campaigning starts. In between elections their opinions reach the party representatives
mainly through opinion polls and focus groups. This phenomenon needs to be evaluated
carefully.
Modern technology (IT) has created a new world where information has become much
more accessible. The Internet is often used for quick mobilization of interest groups for
campaigns. Furthermore, politicians have gained another platform to communicate with
voters. The down side is that politicians often have to sacrifice communicating with the
people in order to spend more time responding to lobbyists and other pressure groups with
specific agendas. We need to be aware of this, and see the opportunities IT opens for us as
politicians to get our messages across, and to communicate and be nearer our voters rather
than as a hinder in our work.
Information Technology has and will change politics and political parties. But this is still
very much a challenge limited in large part to the developed world. It is important to
remember that very few people in developing countries have wide access to the Internet
and direct contact is by far the most efficient way to meet people.
There are many common challenges for Social Democratic parties all over the world and
we can learn a lot from each other’s experiences and practices. This manual deals with how