Politics in France University of Mississippi法国的政治密西西比大学.pptVIP

Politics in France Political parties and political elite Low confidence in parties Multiparty system National Assembly election in 2002 79 parties presented 8,424 candidates 4 main parties got 68% of the votes 7 parties are in the National Assembly formed into 5 parliamentary groups weak party organization fragmentary and local orientation abstract and ideological style Single-member districts Main parties Rally for the Republic (RPR) Union for French Democracy (UDF) National Front (FN) Socialist Party (PS) French Communist Party (PCF) Greens Left parties/Right parties/FN Men 38% 42% 13% Women 40% 43% 11% 18-24 40% 39% 6% 25-34 45% 26% 16% 35-49 49% 35% 11% 50-64 35% 49% 13% 65+ 28% 57% 13% Rally for the Republic (RPR) Gaullist party held both presidency and premiership 1958 - 1974 transformed into RPR by Chirac in 1974 classic conservative constituency older, wealthier voters farmers largest party in France (100,000 members) Union for French Democracy UDF Electoral alliance of various conservative and central groups in 1978 cooperated with RPR since 1981 UDF split in 1998: Liberal Democracy (DL) RPR, DL, and part of UDF formed UMP (Union for the Peoples Movement) in 2002 National Front (FN) founded in 1972 by Le Pen fears of immigration, the “dilution” of French nationality and culture, and European integration present racist ideas with a more acceptable pro-family and patriotic veneer split in 1999 National Front (FN) proportional representation rule Year Votes in 1st ballot Seats in Parliament 1986 9.9% 35 reversion to single-member district rule 1988 9.8% 1 1993 12.7% 0 1997 15.1% 1 2002 11.3% 0 Duverger’s Law Plurality single-member district election rules tend to create two-party systems in the legislature smaller parties that receive a minority of the vote across many district receive little or no representation in Parliament Proportional representation electoral systems generate multiple party systems in the legislature 2