variable. These codes are available in
machine-readable form for computer analysis from the
Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social
Research (see footnote 4 to the preface, page x).
The general procedures for coding the variables will
be presented in Chapter 2, and the coding instructions
for specific basic variables will begin with the first
cluster in Chapter 3. In preparation for subsequent
chapters, we shall first consider in depth the definition
of "political party" used in the ICPP project. Following
this definition, we shall survey the conceptual framework
and the placement of the basic variables within that
framework.
Definition of a Political Party
Our purpose in defining a political party is to
conduct a comparative analysis of the origin, activities,
and consequences of political parties in the government
of nation-states throughout the world. Many social
organizations call themselves political parties, but we
are not concerned with accounting for the behavior of
every organization that has so labeled itself.
Nevertheless, our definition is likely to include most of
the organizations commonly called political parties while
excluding organizations, such as interest groups, that
are not normally so regarded.
In studying political parties, we are interested in
the set of organizations that pursue a goal of placing
their avowed representatives in government positions.
The components in this definition bear closer
examination. A political party is defined first as an
organization--implying recurring interactions
among individuals with some division of labor and role
differentiation. All organizations are acknowledged to
have multiple goals; to qualify as a political party, an
organization must have as one of its goals that of
placing its avowed representatives in government
positions. Moreover, these individuals must be
avowed representatives of the party, which means
in practical terms that they must be openly identified
with the party name or label. In Epstein's words, "The
recognizable label (which may or may not be on the
ballot) is the crucial defining element" (1966, p. 104).
Finally, the term "placing" should be interpreted broadly
to mean through the electoral process (when a party
competes with one or more others in pursuing its goal)
or by a direct administrative action (when a
ruling party permits no electoral competition) or
by forceful imposition (when a party subverts the system
and captures the governmental offices). Some
organizations may call themselves parties yet not be
oriented to providing governmental leadership; that is,
they do not pursue the goal of placing their avowed
representatives in government positions. Therefore, they
do not qualify as parties under our definition.
The universe of parties as conceptually defined is too
large for practical research, and two restrictions are
incorporated into the operational definition that is used
to