How can modern democracies overcome polarisation? As part of NYU Law School's ‘100 ideas in 100 days’ project, Prof. Dr. Emanuel V. Towfigh analyses the role of political parties in the 21st century.

The crisis of representation is not a purely German phenomenon – it is a global challenge for liberal societies. While political parties have long been regarded as guarantors of stability, they are now increasingly becoming the focus of criticism themselves. In his latest essay, ‘The Party Paradox: How Political Parties Power Democracy – and Dominate It’, Prof. Dr. Emanuel V. Towfigh (EBS University) takes a close look at this development.

The essay, written for the NYU Law Democracy Project, covers a wide range of topics: Prof. Towfigh compares the legal frameworks in Germany and the USA and asks why both systems are struggling with similar signs of erosion despite their different dogmatics. His analysis views parties less as static institutions and more as ‘technologies of power’ whose current design often contradicts the requirements of a digitalised and fragmented society.

The article is part of an international initiative that brings together solutions for strengthening the capacity of Western democracies to act. This series brings together different perspectives from politics and practice – from strategic analysts such as US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to business voices such as Mark Cuban. Prof. Towfigh brings the legal perspective of EBS Law School to a discourse that goes beyond academic theory and seeks concrete ways to strengthen the will of citizens.