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Article: SPEAK OUT; Accountability would aid the parties
- Article from:
- The Patriot Ledger Quincy, MA
- Article date:
- June 7, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2003 The Patriot Ledger Quincy, MA. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Eric Weltman and Paul Lachelier
Political parties are declining, both in numbers and influence.
Parties do, however, have the potential to be more than fund-raising
machines and identification labels for office-seeking individuals.
They can provide a distinctive vision of the "good society," and hold
their candidates accountable to the policies that achieve these
visions. They can also be institutions of democracy, making politics
a more meaningful part of ordinary people's everyday lives. More
Americans are eschewing parties and registering as "independents." In
Massachusetts, 49.4 percent of registered voters are unaffiliated
with any party, up from 40.7 percent 20 years ago. The ...