Suchergebnisse

The recent success of ethnolinguistic politics is considered to be the outcome of friction between the existing pattern of political integration & a set of relatively new SE conditions. The development of the latter is part of what may be implied in the phrase "postindustrial society." The Belgian pattern of political integration is characterized by very low levels of differentiation between the parties, the administration, & the voluntary organizations. It implies a mode of political participation in which the recent developments in the organization of labor, expansion of the tertiary sector, geographical mobility, & urbanization lead to political marginality for the groups concerned. This marginality expresses itself in support for ethnolinguism, which serves as an alternative route to political integration. This theory is evaluated on the basis of an ecological analysis of the success of an ethnolinguistic party (the front democratique des francophones [Democratic Francophone Front]) in the 1970 & 1976 communal elections. 2 Tables. Modified HA.

The politicization of Belgian political parties since WWII has resulted in what is termed a "particracy," ie, a parliamentary democracy wherein party structures dominate the political decision-making process. The gradual institutionalization of party patronage within the parliament, ministerial cabinets, public administration, the judiciary, & mass media is discussed, examining mechanisms of recruitment & policy articulation. The process of within-party candidate selection is also considered, focusing on the shift away from rank-&-file participation toward central decisions by local & national party leaders, with a concomitant restructuring of "party discipline." Historical bases of the current patronage system are briefly considered, noting the prewar politicization of magisterial posts & the shift from reliance on party newspapers to party control of broadcast media administrators. Modified HA.