Digitalization and party organizational change in the aftermath of the Great Recession and the COVID Era

Abstract

Digitalization and party organizational change in the aftermath of the Great Recession and the COVID Era Since the 2010s most political parties have been actively engaging on new forms of external digital political communication (Facebook, Tweeter, etc). In addition, more and more new and mainstream parties have also embarked in the digitalization of key decision-making procedures on the selection of their personnel, their policy development or the adoption of strategic decisions (electoral alliances, government coalitions). Such digital transformations have eventually favoured democratic (plebiscitary) innovations such as online party primaries or digital internal referendums. In other cases, this has led to new democratic deliberative spaces within the party such as digital platforms where party members or even party sympathisers might be able to promote internal debate, policy analysis or policy formulation. In other cases, such digital transformations have led to new deliberative spaces for representative party agencies such as party executives or party congresses, particularly relevant during the COVID19 lockdown in many western countries. With what consequences for intra-party democracy? Are new digital tools transforming from within parties or digitalization is just a business-as-usual innovation? This panel welcomes single or comparative case studies analysing the features, causes or consequences of such digital transformation.

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