ABSTRACT
The process through which candidates for membership in major party institutions, the legislature, the Cabinet, and so forth are selected reveals much about the nature of the distribution of power and authority within political institutions. It was shown in Chapter 3 that the candidate selection process in the Labor Party, which is influenced by both structural and cultural features of the party and the political system generally, is a major factor perpetuating the centralization of power in the Labor Party. The oligarchic tendencies fostered by the system of candidate selection are reinforced by the dependence of the majority of the members of party institutions on party-dominated institutions like the Histadrut for their livelihoods. These two factors interact with and reinforce each other. As a result, the most efficient means of advancement for ambitious party activists is to attach themselves as clients of powerful leaders, and to serve loyally and unquestioningly.
