Resumen

MARTINEZ LOPEZ, Víctor Hugo. Political Parties: An Exercise of Theoretical Classification. Perf. latinoam. [online]. 2009, vol.17, n.33, pp.39-63. ISSN 0188-7653.

It is well known that in 1902 Moisei Ostrogorski wrote the first book on modern parties. In his opinion, parties had been successful in ensuring the governmental machinery performance, but they had "failed miserably" in upholding citizens' power (1964: 539). Ostrogorski thought that parties must disappear, but they are still alive and have, since then, inspired a large body of literature. This article analyzes the international literature (on parties' definition, history, crisis and post-crisis). The result is a theoretical classification attempt useful to scholars and specialists.

Palabras llave : political parties; theoretical approaches; classical and postclassical literature; research agendas.