Political Parties
A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy
Michels, Robert
Year Published: 1915
Pages: 416pp Resource Type: Book
Michels deals with the nature of leadership in the social organization, both on the governmental and trade union levels. It attempts to understand the tendency of oligarchy to replace democracy in these areas.
Abstract:
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Table of Contents
Chapter I. Democratic Aristocracy and Aristocratic Democracy
Chapter II. The Ethical Embellishment of Social Struggles
PART ONE - Leadership in Democratic Organizations
A. Technical and Administrative Causes of Leadership
Chapter I. Introductory - The Need for Organization
Chapter II. Mechanical and Technical Impossibility of Direct Government by the Masses
Chapter III.The Modern Democratic Party as a Fighting Party, Dominated by Militarist Ideas and Methods
B. Psychological Causes of Leadership
Chapter IV. The Establishment of a Customary Right ot the Office of Delegate
Chapter V. The Need for Leadership Felt by the Mass
Chapter VI.The Political Gratitude of the Masses
Chapter VII. The Cult of Veneration Among the Masses
Chapter VII. Accessory Qualities Requisite to Leadership
Chapter IX. Accessory Peculities of the Masses
C. Intellectual Factors
Chapter X. Superiority of the Professional Leaders in Respect of Culture, and Their Indispensability; the Formal and Real Incompetence of the Masses
PART TWO - Autocratic Tendencies of Leaders
Chapter I.The Stability of Leadership
Chapter II. The Financial Power of the Leaders and of the Party
Chapter III.The Leaders and the Press
Chapter IV.The Position of the Leaders in Relation to the Masses in Acutal Practice
Chapter V. The Struggle Between the Leaders and the Masses
Chapter VI. The Struggle Among the leaders Themselves
Chapter VII.Bureaucracy. Centralizing and Decentralizing Tendencies
PART THREE - The Exercise of Power and Its Psychological Reaction upon the Leaders
Chapter I. Psychological Metamorphosis of the Leaders
Chapter II. Bonapartst Ideology
Chapter III. Identification of the Party with the Leader ("Le Parti C'est Moi")
PART FOUR - Social Analysis of Leadership
Chapter I. Introductory - The Class Struggle and Its Disintegrating Influence Upon the Bourgeoisie
Chapter II. Analysis of the Bourgeois Elements in the Socialist Leadership
Chapter III.Social Changes Resulting From Organization
Chapter IV. The Need for the Differentiation of the Working Class
Chapter V. Labour Leaders of Proletarian Orgin
Chapter VI. Intellectuals, and the Need For Them in the Working-Class Partyies
PART FIVE - Attempts to Restrict the Influence of the Leaders
Chapter I. The Referendum
Chapter II. The Postulate of Renunciation
Chapter III. Syndicalism as Prophylactic
Chapter IV. Anarchism as Prophylactic
PART SIX - Synthesis: The Oligarchical Tendencies of Organization
Chapter I. The Conservative Basis of Organization
Chapter II. Democracy and the Iron Law of Oligarchy
Chapter III. Party-Life in War-Time
Chapter IV. Final Considerations
Index
Subject Headings
