Minimum membership thresholds are commonly used in democracies as a criterion for political party registration. These thresholds can have the empowering quality of showing a specified level of popular support for a party and/or its ideology, policies, or leader, but are often a simple mathematical test for a new party, without requirements for political activism or internal party democracy. Thresholds for registration, and/or for access to state resources, impact on the style and scope of political discourse in a democracy, and can also be used as a mechanism to limit political competition.
This article provides an international focus centering on three countries. Two countries, Australia and New Zealand, are developed democracies with well-established regulatory regimes. The third country, Papua New Guinea, provides a contrast as a developing democracy attempting to strengthen its party system through regulation. The article provides a comparative analysis of the mechanical nature of membership thresholds, and of further thresholds that impact on parties' ability to be part of the national political narrative.
EnyediZ.2014. “The Discreet Charm of Political Parties,” Party Politics, 20(2): 194–204.
9.
FearonJ. D.2003. “Ethnic and Cultural Diversity by Country,” Journal of Economic Growth, 8(2): 195–222.
10.
GaujaA.2010. Political Parties and Elections: Legislating for Representative Democracy. Ashgate: Farnham, UK.
11.
GaujaA.2012. “The ‘Push’ for Primaries: What Drives Party Organisational Reform in Australia and the United Kingdom?,” Australian Journal of Political Science, 47(4): 641–658.
12.
GeddisA.2007. Electoral Law in New Zealand: Practice and Policy. LexisNexis: Wellington, NZ.
13.
GeluA.2005. “The Failure of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC),” Pacific Economic Bulletin, 20(1): 83–97.
14.
GreenA.2003. Prospects for the 2003 Legislative Council Election. Background Paper No. 3/03, NSW Parliamentary Library Research Service. Parliament of New South Wales: Sydney.
15.
JaenschD., BrentP., and BowdenB.2004. Australian Political Parties in the Spotlight. Democratic Audit of Australia, Australian National University: Canberra.
16.
JandaK.2005. Political Parties and Democracy in Theoretical and Practical Perspectives: Adopting Party Law. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs: Washington, DC.
17.
Joint Select Committee on Electoral Reform. 1983. First Report. Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
18.
JSCEM [Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters]. 2000. The 1998 Federal Election: Report of the Inquiry into the Conduct of the 1998 Federal Election and Matters Related Thereto. Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
19.
JSCEM [Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters]. 2005. The 2004 Federal Election: Report of the Inquiry into the Conduct of the 2004 Federal Election and Matters Related Thereto. Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
20.
JSCEM [Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters]. 2014. Interim Report on the Inquiry into the Conduct of the 2013 Federal Election: Senate Voting Practices. Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
21.
KatzR.S. and MairP.1995. “Changing Models of Party Organization and Party Democracy.” Party Politics, 1(1): 5–28.
22.
KellyN.2012. Directions in Australian Electoral Reform: Professionalism and Partisanship in Electoral Management. ANU E Press: Canberra.
23.
KellyN. and AshiagborS.2011. Political Parties and Democracy in Theoretical and Practical Perspectives: Parliamentary Groups. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs: Washington, DC.
Minter Ellison Consulting. 2003. Independent Review of the Northern Territory Electoral System: Final Report and Recommendations. Minter Ellison Consulting: Canberra.
26.
NorrisP.2004. Building Political Parties: Reforming Legal Regulations and Internal Rules. International IDEA: Stockholm.
27.
OrrG.2001. “Overseeing the Gatekeepers: Should the Preselection of Political Candidates be Regulated?,” Public Law Review, 12: 89–94.
28.
OrrG.2010. The Law of Politics: Elections, Parties and Money in Australia. Federation Press: Sydney.
29.
OrrG., MercurioB., and WilliamsG. (eds). 2003. Realising Democracy: Electoral Law in Australia. Federation Press: Sydney.
30.
PlasserF. and PlasserG.2002. Global Political Campaigning: A Worldwide Analysis of Campaign Professionals and Their Practices. Praeger: Westport, CT.
31.
ReillyB., NordlundP., and NewmanE.2008. Political Parties in Conflict-Prone Societies: Encouraging Inclusive Politics and Democratic Development. Policy Brief No. 2. United Nations University: Tokyo.
32.
ScarrowS.2005. Political Parties and Democracy in Theoretical and Practical Perspectives: Implementing Intra-Party Democracy. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs: Washington, DC.
33.
Van BiezenI. and PoguntkeT.2014. “The Decline of Membership-based Politics,” Party Politics, 20(2): 205–216.
34.
Eijk Van derC. and FranklinM. N.2009. Elections and Voters. Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke, UK.
35.
YoungS. and ThamJ-C.2006. Political Finance in Australia: A Skewed and Secret System. Democratic Audit of Australia, Australian National University: Canberra.
