Abstract

Political parties have a weird constitutional record. In spite of their ubiquitous presence in contemporary regimes, they are hardly mentioned, not to say regulated, in most constitutional charters. This is because they are the grey matter of modern politics, with their activity largely taking place behind closed doors. What we see, discuss and analyze is only the visible tip of the power struggle that moves party life and is shaping the material constitution of mass democracies. This article presents an overview of the main pillars of the evolution and decay of political parties: their foundations, organization and governmental performance. With a focus on the impact of digitalization on the competition between the monist and the pluralist principle of authority, a key factor of constitutional state-building