Kiesstelsel en leider : volgelingrelaties in Ierland

Samenvatting

The political parties in Ireland are Fianna Fail & Fine Gael, in addition to a small Labor Party. The Irish politician's role is thrust upon him by the election-system, so that the politicians of one party are just as competitive with each other as with the opposite party. The majority of the politicians are interested in local politics; they function as intermediators between the voters & the bureaucrats. B. Chubb ("Going about Persecuting Civil Servants: The Role of the Irish Parliamentary Representative," Political Studies, 1963, 11, 3, 272-86) calls them "consumer representatives," "contact men," "message boys," & "hawkers of local interests." Political groupings, based on recruiting with a controlling transactional element are more susceptible to tensions & divisions, than others. Leaders of the larger political groupings are in need of semiprofessional help to solve their communication & management problems; & this brings a potentional weakening in the position of the leaders, & strengthens the transactional element in the recruiting of followers. D. Ridgway.