Bringing contention in: a critical perspective on political parties as institutions

Abstract Scholars working in the analytic traditions of Historical Institutionalism (HI) and American Political Development (APD) have increasingly turned their attention to the role of political parties in shaping politics across time and space. However, despite recent advances, historically-minded social scientists continue to juxtapose institutions and contentious forms of politics. We argue that such a dichotomy is unwarranted. Specifically, we assert that because of their place and function in the modern democratic polity, political parties are fundamentally and inextricably contentious institutions.