ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the data set that is used in testing the cross-sectional hypotheses and the methodology used to empirically test them. For the "centralization of power" variable, the study will also utilize the indicators developed in the International Comparative Political Parties project to operationalize the variable. The finding that party membership size is a significant factor affecting party complexity is important in light of the fact that system level variables are generally given more prominence in the explanation of how parties organize. Robert Michels declares that the advance of party organization necessarily results in the decline of intra-party democracy. While large party size has a dampening effect on member participation, growth in size leads to the rise of organization. In political parties, the growth of organizations implies that political parties may organize at lower levels as in the precincts or even the cells as found in communist parties.
