On Political Parties in China and Western Societies

In: Politics, culture and socialization: research, theory, methods, book reviews, Band 4, Heft 2, S. 120-132

Abstract

Faction in politics is a long-standing objective phenomenon in human political life. Party has made factions public and legal. Clique is only a kind of small group struggling for private interests. Derived from faction, party is different from faction because party has its own clear objective, well-organized structure and discipline. Without getting rid of minor faction, party has to struggle against factionalism after its coming into being. A proletariat party has also to face the temptation of factionalism and keep politics focused on the benefit of the people in general. The nature of Chinese proletariat party decides there is no space for the development of major factionalism. Chinese culture from ancient times demonstrates that every empire was destroyed from within by factions. In order to create cultural harmony in China and prevent regime destruction, strong factions from within must be avoided. Western political culture analysis shows that an environment developed which was favorable to two and multiple parties. Chinese culture never produced such a condition. Adapted from the source document.