國立臺灣大學政治科學論叢

Abstract / Chinese PDF Download

The state might sometimes take an encouraging and supportive stance relating to its policies towards political parties. In this regard, the state may have only a few legal rules governing their operation. Conversely, the state might sometimes choose to enact and enforce detailed legal rules regarding the conditions for establishing a party, as well as rules concerning party structure, financial management, appointment of party leaders, and even selection of election candidates. The analysis of this article indicates that the United Kingdom does not stand at either extreme. Rather, the UK has adopted the principle of party autonomy, as going with either extreme would presumably lead to numerous disadvantages. Although the UK Parliament did not incorporate the principle of party autonomy into political parties over the last 18 years, the Parliament did not set any limitation on the principles of the Elections and Referendums Act 2000 either. Generally, the 2000 Act has enhanced the effectiveness of the leadership of political parties by improving their management and internal auditing. Meanwhile, the 2000 Act shows respect for the ideologies and key principles emphasised by the parties.