Cadre and mass parties are distinguished by the quality versus quantity of their supporters

Evidence

3These types are different from the historic cadre or elite parties. The “cadre” or “elite” parties of the 19th century were basically “committees of people who jointly constituted state and civil society” (Katz and Mair, 1995:9; Duverger, 1954). Parties then were merely “groups of men” pursuing the public interest, with little need for formal or highly structured organizations or large formal membership. The parliamentary component or the party in office dominated, and the resources required for election often involved local connections and personal political notability. The “mass” party, unlike the cadre party, was characterized by a large, active membership. This is because the mass party arose “primarily among the newly activated and often disenfranchised elements of civil society” (Katz and Mair, 1995:10). Whereas the old cadre party had relied on the quality of supporters (personal attributes), the mass party relied on the quantity of supporters, attempting to make up in membership what it lacked in terms of individual patronage. As the political instrument of the disenfranchised, the mass parties were naturally dominated by those whose political base was in the party rather than in government; moreover, given their activist political agenda and the life experiences of their supporters, these parties were more amenable to enforced party cohesion and discipline than were the cadre parties (Duverger, 1954). — John T. Ishiyama, Party Organization and the Political…, 36

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines cadre vs. mass party typology with the key mechanism: quality-of-supporters vs. quantity-of-supporters, and corresponding where power sits (parliament vs. party organization).
• XREF: Connects to the reading purpose on organizational survival — the cadre/mass distinction parallels how a party’s structure (officeholder-dominated vs. membership-dependent) determines what happens to it when its external threat frame evaporates. — connects to: A narrow dedicated group can outweigh an apathetic electorate; The mass party once defined the boundaries of social belonging itself — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics: Extreme Politicization…, 90

Broader Connections

• The mass party once defined the boundaries of social belonging itself #exemplifies (0.75) — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics, 90
• A narrow dedicated group can outweigh an apathetic electorate #expands (0.72)