ABSTRACT
Analyses of the transitions from authoritarian regimes and of democratic consolidations have basically focused on the interplay of political, social, and economic organizations. In some cases, due account has been taken of the impact of external factors. In other cases, Kirchheimer’s lesson on the importance of ‘confining conditions’ has been learned and put to use.1 More recently, and most notably in this volume, the emphasis has been put on that very relevant political actor which is the political party (in the wake of the criticisms levelled against political parties in contemporary democracies, one has risked losing sight of their important contributions in establishing and consolidating democratic regimes). All this has been rightly done.
