Political parties are organized groups that compete in elections in order to win public office, operate the government and determine public policy. The organizational structure of political parties differ according to the Social and Political Context of each country but all share the same interest in fielding candidates and winning elections.
Through this interest, political parties can help maintain integrity by monitoring the electoral process to ensure that no other party receives preferential treatment (see Political Party Monitors). They also publicize political issues, stimulate interest in the political process, recruit candidates and carry out election campaigns. (For more in depth information see Parties and Candidates.
Many electoral systems will allow independent candidates to run without a party affiliation, and independent candidates and their monitors serve the same integrity functions as candidates from political parties.
For a free and fair election, the internal workings of a political party should be transparent and as free and fair as the electoral process itself. This means that the mechanisms for the selection of candidates are transparent, fair and inclusive. Political party leaders are held accountable for their actions by internal party regulations as well as by legislation that covers participant activity.
Political parties have not always been models of transparency and integrity in their pursuit of elected office. In the U.S., for instance, some regional or local political party organizations have been known as 'political machines.' The name came from parties that operated like a well oiled machine- headed by a boss, or small group of autocratic leaders, whose orders were carried out by a small group of loyal members. These 'machines' were known for their unethical methods of keeping themselves in elected office, such as the use of bribery, patronage, graft, control over nominations and the rigging of elections. The power of these political party machines was reduced through the introduction of internal party elections ('primaries') to select a party's candidate, and citizen activism in restoring a clean and accountable government. (For more on this see Historical Review.)
Having a political party that acts in an ethical and legal manner during the electoral process is an effective election integrity mechanism. It can reduce attempts to manipulate the process and helps ensure the accountability of electoral administrators and other participants.
In general, integrity in political party participation includes:
Open and fair selection of candidates
One of the primary purposes of a political party is to select candidates and help them win office. For election integrity purposes, the candidate selected should be the candidate with the most popular support within the party. In some systems, political party bosses, or small cliques within the party, select their nominees. The nominee is then beholden to the bosses who would expect favours and other preferential treatment. This can also be true of large donors to parties who may try to 'buy' candidates (for more on this see Campaign Financing.)
One way to open up the selection of nominees is to elect the nominees. In the United States, for example, the hold of party bosses was decreased through the introduction of the 'primary' election which opened up the nomination process and made nominee selection more representative and democratic. A primary system can give rank and file party members a larger voice in party affairs and enables party members to get rid of an unpopular, but strongly entrenched party leader. In the U.S., primary elections are held by the state or county election authorities and are funded by taxpayers. They add an extra layer to the U..S. election system, but have almost eliminated conventions or closed door meetings (caucus) as a means for the major parties to nominate candidates.
Primaries can be restricted to party members ('closed primary') or open to all registered voters ('open primary') depending on the rules of the party and electoral system. The integrity issue associated with a closed primary is that voters must state their affiliation with a political party at the time of voter registration. Voters who do not want to be officially affiliated with a political party may not vote in a closed primary. The integrity issue raised by an open primary is that members of other political parties get to select the nominees of another party-- presumably selecting the weakest candidate so that their own party candidate can win in the general election.
The caucus (or party meeting) is another mechanism to select party candidates. It can be done with just party leaders or include rank and file party members. Integrity issues that arise from using a caucus include its often unrepresentative nature, the lack of a separation of powers within the party, the use of secret deals or exchanging favours to manipulate the caucus, and the use of a 'snap' caucus by which small cliques control the nominating process by not notifying all eligible participant of the meeting. It can, however, produce compromise among different factions of a party and costs less, making it more affordable for some parties.
Running a clean election campaign
Political parties and candidates participate in an election by conducting a campaign in order to persuade voters to vote for them on polling day. Some of the issues involved with having an environment conductive to a free and fair campaign, include the freedom to campaign (see Electoral Campaign) and Access to Media.
Running a clean election campaign helps parties maintain their integrity, and the integrity of the process. A clean campaign means they participate fairly, campaign on the issues and abide by campaign regulations. Although the electoral contest is supposed to be a peaceful process, campaigns are designed to motivate voters and have them associate candidates with particular issues or emotions. Because no one is sure whether voters vote for or against candidates, candidates often rely on attack measures. They can focus on the negatives in the other candidate and why they think that person is not qualified to lead. Increasingly, this can include exposing the personal life and qualities of the other candidates, rather than attacking their political positions. The quality of the campaign and the ethics that should be used in campaigning are discussed in Campaign Ethics.
Campaigns have become costly undertakings and are become more expensive every year. Studies indicate that the candidate that spends the most money is usually the candidate who wins the election. For example, in the U.S. State of California, the Secretary of State compared spending by winning and losing candidates for State Assembly elections. Winners consistently outspent losers. The average cost of a winner running for State Assembly in 1976 was about $40,000, but by 1998 it was almost $250,000. Losing candidate spending did not increase from 1976 and the spending radio between winners and losers went from roughly 3 to 1 in 1976 to 14 to 1 in 1998. 232
The need to raise the large sums of money that is required to win a campaign, can raise serious integrity issues. Where does this money come from? How and where is it spent? Is the contributor buying access or special treatment? Is it possible for a candidate to remain impartial after being elected because of the large contribution made by someone or some organization? To ensure a clean campaign, most electoral systems have adopted some kind of Campaign Financing regulation and have moved towards regulating lobbyist activities (see Interest Groups).
