ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the functioning and cohesion of parliamentary parties (PPGs) in the 1992-96 Czech parliament.1 Parliamentary party cohesion is defined as the extent to which, in a given situation, parliamentary party members can be observed to act together for party goals (Özbudun 1970). It is distinct from party discipline, which refers to a system of sanctions by which cohesion is attained. As the wording suggests, cohesion may not be a function of discipline, but may instead be spontaneous and voluntary. The chapter is divided into four parts. The first part provides the background information, and will be concerned with the position of PPGs in the Czech political system. The second part assesses the current level of parliamentary party cohesion, mainly using the analysis of voting patterns as an empirical indication. In the last two parts, these findings are discussed in relation to two independent variables-the internal organization of parliamentary parties, and the relationship between parliamentary parties and their extra-parliamentary party organizations (EPOs).
