The Great Retreat
The Great Retreat
How Political Parties Should Behave and Why They Don't
As the crisis of democratic capitalism sweeps the globe, The Great Retreat makes the controversial argument that what democracies require most are stronger political parties that serve as intermediaries between citizens and governments.
Once a centralizing force of the democratic process, political parties have eroded over the past fifty years. Parties now rank among the most unpopular institutions in society — less trusted than business, the police, and the media. Identification with parties has plummeted, and even those who are loyal to a party report feeling that parties care more about special interests than about regular citizens. What does a "good" political party look like? Why do we urgently need them? And how do we get them?
The Great Retreat explores the development of political parties as democracy expanded across the West in the nineteenth century. It focuses in particular on mass parties, and the ways they served as intermediaries that fostered ties between citizens and governments. While parties have become professionalized and nationalized, they have lost the robust organizational density that made them effective representatives. After the Cold War, a neoliberal economic consensus, changes to campaign finance, and shifting party priorities weakened the party systems of Western democracies. As Didi Kuo argues, this erosion of political parties has contributed to the recent crisis of democratic capitalism, as weak parties have ceded governance to the private sector.
For democracy to adapt to a new era of global capitalism, Kuo makes the case that we need strong intermediaries like mass parties — socially embedded institutions with deep connections to communities and citizens. Parties are essential to long-term democratic stability and economic growth, while the breakdown of party systems, on the other hand, has historically led to democratic collapse. As trust in political parties has plummeted, The Great Retreat provides a powerful defense of political parties — for without parties, democratic representation is impossible.
REVIEWS
"Whether we like it or not, political parties are a necessary component of democracy. If you want to know why this is the case-what functions parties should perform in a democracy and what happens when they stop doing so-The Great Retreat is a must read. This book will help you understand the problems facing political parties and our democracy today as well as what needs to be done to make both work better."
Sheri Berman, Professor of Political Science, Barnard College, Columbia University
"In The Great Retreat, Didi Kuo brilliantly weaves together a deep understanding of political economy with a comparative analysis of political parties across democracies. Her sharp insights reveal how the weakening of parties has destabilized the delicate balance between democracy and capitalism. An urgent and compelling case for why we must act now to rebuild and revitalize those most essential institutions of modern representative democracy-political parties."
Lee Drutman, Senior Fellow in the Political Reform Program, New America, and author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop
"Many analysts are pushing for reforms designed to weaken the political parties they blame for our anguished politics. In this bracing book, Kuo convincingly argues that such steps would only make things worse. We need strong parties, with deep roots in local communities and associational life, to build a society in which the voices of ordinary citizens are heard and genuine prosperity widely shared."
Paul Pierson, John Gross Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
"Didi Kuo's engaging study raises urgent questions about tensions between capitalism and democracy and why today's overly professionalized and distant political parties have become less adept at mediating this relationship. This is must-reading for scholars, students, and interested citizens who see political parties in today's world as more a hinderance than a help in representing the people's interests."
Susan Stokes, Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, University of Chicago