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The iron law of Erdogan: the decay from intra-party democracy to personalistic rule

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  • Caroline Lancaster

Abstract

Michels’ ‘iron law of oligarchy’ suggests that oligarchic party rule is inevitable, yet many parties have shown a strong commitment to intra-party democracy. However, Turkey’s akp is a typified case of Michels’ law, displaying an explicit commitment to intra-party democracy, only to later abandon it. I ask what factors have facilitated this transformation. Why does the iron law of oligarchy display itself in some parties but not in others? I argue that intra-party democracy owes its existence to three indicators – inclusiveness, decentralisation and institutionalisation. Conversely, it should be observed that a party shifting from democratic to oligarchic or personalistic intra-party rule will display decreasing levels of these three indicators in terms of policy formation and candidate selection. By tracing akp’s internal party operations since its founding in 2001, I demonstrate a gradual deterioration in these indicators, reflecting a gradual deterioration of democracy within the party to oligarchy and then to personalism.

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  • Caroline Lancaster, 2014. "The iron law of Erdogan: the decay from intra-party democracy to personalistic rule," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(9), pages 1672-1690, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:ctwqxx:v:35:y:2014:i:9:p:1672-1690
    DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2014.970866
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    Cited by:

    1. Appel, Benjamin J & Croco, Sarah E, 2024. "Democratic Backsliding and Foreign Policy," Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, Working Paper Series qt8s31h6c9, Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, University of California.
    2. Murat Somer, 2019. "Turkey: The Slippery Slope from Reformist to Revolutionary Polarization and Democratic Breakdown," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 681(1), pages 42-61, January.
    3. H Bahadir Türk, 2018. "‘Populism as a medium of mass mobilization’: The case of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 21(2), pages 150-168, June.

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