
Contents
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The Origins and Consequences of a Decentralized Leadership Selection The Origins and Consequences of a Decentralized Leadership Selection
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Toward the party of League and Land Organizations Toward the party of League and Land Organizations
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From Decentralized Leadership Selection to Low Factionalism From Decentralized Leadership Selection to Low Factionalism
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Reinforcement of Low Levels of Factionalism Reinforcement of Low Levels of Factionalism
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Länder, Leagues, and the Austrian State Länder, Leagues, and the Austrian State
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Organizational Reinforcement before 1990 Organizational Reinforcement before 1990
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Low Factionalism and Weak Party Adaptation before 1990 Low Factionalism and Weak Party Adaptation before 1990
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The Limited Integrative Capacity of an Aspiring Catch-All Party The Limited Integrative Capacity of an Aspiring Catch-All Party
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Lacking Flexibility in the Face of Increasing Social Diversity Lacking Flexibility in the Face of Increasing Social Diversity
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Organizational Rigidity and Weak Adaptive Reforms Organizational Rigidity and Weak Adaptive Reforms
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Strategic Incentives but Weak Renewal Strategic Incentives but Weak Renewal
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Watered-Down Reforms and Late Compromises Watered-Down Reforms and Late Compromises
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Conclusion Conclusion
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4 Austria’s ÖVP: Decentralized Leadership Selection, Low Factionalism, and Organizational Rigidity
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Published:August 2024
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Abstract
While too much factionalism hinders party adaptation, this chapter shows that giving no room to factions also weakens a party’s ability to adapt. Since the 1960s, Austria’s People’s Party (ÖVP) has identified the need to reform their organization and platform. However, despite an extended stay in opposition, a rising radical right competitor, repeated leadership changes, and declining public support, far-reaching reforms were introduced only in 2017. A focus on the institutional constraints party leaders faced leaves important questions open about the process leading to a relatively poor record of adaptation—questions the book’s factionalism argument helps address. The chapter begins by tracing the origins and effect of the ÖVP’s decentralized leadership selection, showing that the latter rather than choices regarding candidate recruitment, internal party financing, or Austria’s political system best explains the ÖVP’s low level of factionalism. Majority elites used Austria’s corporatist system and the party’s organization to reinforce the low level of factionalism, which prevented the rise of leaders who did not have a base in the ÖVP’s territorial and auxiliary branches. While majority elites acknowledged this as a problem for party adaptation, it also protected their influence. This dilemma resulted in a very slowly unfolding reform process.
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