University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
Political Parties; a Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy

  
[title page]
  
PREFACE
  
CONTENTS
collapse section 
INTRODUCTION
 1. 
CHAPTER I DEMOCRATIC ARISTOCRACY AND ARISTOCRATIC DEMOCRACY
 2. 
CHAPTER II THE ETHICAL EMBELLISHMENT OF SOCIAL STRUGGLES.

collapse section1. 
PART ONE LEADERSHIP IN DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS
collapse sectionA. 
A. TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAUSES OF LEADERSHIP
 1. 
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY—THE NEED FOR ORGANIZATION
 2. 
CHAPTER II MECHANICAL AND TECHNICAL IMPOSSIBILITY OF DIRECT GOVERNMENT BY THE MASSES
 3. 
CHAPTER III THE MODERN DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS A FIGHTING PARTY, DOMINATED BY MILITARIST IDEAS AND METHODS
collapse sectionB. 
B. PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES OF LEADERSHIP
 1. 
CHAPTER I THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CUSTOMARY RIGHT TO THE OFFICE OF DELEGATE
 2. 
CHAPTER II THE NEED FOR LEADERSHIP FELT BY THE MASS
 3. 
CHAPTER III THE POLITICAL GRATITUDE OF THE MASSES
 4. 
CHAPTER IV THE CULT OF VENERATION AMONG THE MASSES
 5. 
CHAPTER V ACCESSORY QUALITIES REQUISITE TO LEADERSHIP
 6. 
CHAPTER VI ACCESSORY PECULIARITIES OF THE MASSES
collapse sectionC. 
C. INTELLECTUAL FACTORS
 1. 
CHAPTER I SUPERIORITY OF THE PROFESSIONAL LEADERS IN RESPECT TO CULTURE, AND THEIR INDISPENSABILITY; THE FORMAL AND REAL INCOMPETENCE OF THE MASS
collapse section2. 
PART TWO AUTOCRATIC TENDENCIES OF LEADERS
 1. 
CHAPTER I THE STABILITY OF LEADERSHIP
 2. 
CHAPTER II THE FINANCIAL POWER OF THE LEADERS AND OF THE PARTY
 3. 
CHAPTER III THE LEADERS AND THE PRESS
 4. 
CHAPTER IV THE POSITION OF THE LEADERS IN RELATION TO THE MASSES IN ACTUAL PRACTICE.
 5. 
CHAPTER V THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE LEADERS AND THE MASSES
 6. 
CHAPTER VI THE STRUGGLE AMONG THE LEADERS THEMSELVES
 7. 
CHAPTER VII BUREAUCRACY. CENTRALIZING AND DECENTRALIZING TENDENCIES
collapse section3. 
PART THREE THE EXERCISE OF POWER AND ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTION UPON THE LEADERS
 1. 
CHAPTER I PSYCHOLOGICAL METAMORPHOSIS OF THE LEADERS
 2. 
CHAPTER II BONAPARTIST IDEOLOGY
 3. 
CHAPTER III IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTY WITH THE LEADER (“LE PARTI C'EST MOI”).
collapse section4. 
PART FOUR SOCIAL ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP
 1. 
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY. THE CLASS STRUGGLE AND ITS DISINTEGRATING INFLUENCE UPON THE BOURGEOISIE
 2. 
CHAPTER II ANALYSIS OF THE BOURGEOIS ELEMENTS IN THE SOCIALIST LEADERSHIP
 3. 
CHAPTER III SOCIAL CHANGES RESULTING FROM ORGANIZATION
 4. 
CHAPTER IV THE NEED FOR THE DIFFERENTIATION OF THE WORKING CLASS
 5. 
CHAPTER V LABOUR LEADERS OF PROLETARIAN ORIGIN
 6. 
CHAPTER VI INTELLECTUALS, AND THE NEED FOR THEM IN THE WORKING-CLASS PARTIES
collapse section5. 
PART FIVE ATTEMPTS TO RESTRICT THE INFLUENCE OF THE LEADERS
 1. 
CHAPTER I THE REFERENDUM
 2. 
CHAPTER II THE POSTULATE OF RENUNCIATION
 3. 
CHAPTER III SYNDICALISM AS PROPHYLACTIC
 4. 
CHAPTER IV ANARCHISM AS PROPHYLACTIC.
collapse section6. 
PART SIX SYNTHESIS: THE OLIGARCHICAL TENDENCIES OF ORGANIZATION
 1. 
CHAPTER I THE CONSERVATIVE BASIS OF ORGANIZATION
 2. 
CHAPTER II democracy AND THE IRON LAW OF OLIGARCHY
 3. 
CHAPTER III PARTY-LIFE IN WAR-TIME
 4. 
CHAPTER IV FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

  
[figure]
collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
no previous section Political Parties; a Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy
next section

POLITICAL PARTIES
A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF
THE OLIGARCHICAL TENDENCIES
OF MODERN DEMOCRACY

BY

ROBERT MICHELS


Professor of Political Economy and Statistics, University of Basle
Honorary Professor of Political Economy, University of Turin


Translated from the Italian
by
EDEN & CEDAR PAUL

LONDON

JARROLD & SONS, 10 & 11, WARWICK LANE, E.C.
no previous section Political Parties; a Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy
next section