21. On Political Parties:The stronger the party, the more democracy regresses

A political party is an organization formed by a group of people united by a common interest. Following the principle of human self-interest, it is clear that forming a party organization—no matter how selfless their proclaimed slogans may be—ultimately serves the purpose of pursuing private gain. Political parties are no exception; their goal of seizing political power is also for the benefit of their members. This benefit may serve all members or only a portion of them.

Given that all political parties pursue self-interest, why not prohibit their formation? The answer lies in human nature itself. People are inherently self-interested, and forming alliances with others who share common interests is one way to satisfy that self-interest. Since human self-interest cannot be eradicated, there is no need to ban parties formed for self-serving purposes. Therefore, citizens should retain the freedom to establish political parties.

While prohibiting party formation is unnecessary, their expansion must be restricted. Without limits, any party whose ideology resonates with public sentiment could grow into a massive super-party. Once such a party emerges, its leadership will inevitably exploit its size to seize power for personal gain, ultimately serving their own interests rather than those of all members. This phenomenon remains prevalent worldwide today, affecting parties in both authoritarian and democratic nations alike.

The stronger the party, the more democracy regresses. America's democratic evolution since its founding vividly illustrates this point. When parties held minimal societal influence, American democracy flourished. As party power grew, democracy deteriorated. Therefore, both theoretically and practically, party growth must be constrained.

Restrictions on political parties should focus on three areas: First, limiting party membership to prevent the emergence of super-sized parties. For example, no party should have more than 1,000 registered members. Second, restricting the scope of party activities. For instance, parties should be established solely to promote their political ideology, funding should come exclusively from member donations, and members should retain the right to withdraw at any time. Party activities must strictly adhere to legally defined boundaries, with any actions exceeding these boundaries prohibited. Third, party members must be explicitly barred from holding public office. Citizens must resign from all parties before assuming public office; otherwise, they are ineligible for appointment. Public officials may govern in accordance with the principles of their former party affiliation, but they must resign from the party and absolutely cannot accept leadership from any party while in office; failure to do so requires resignation. Public officials must adhere solely to national laws, performing their duties impartially and without partisan bias. Therefore, they cannot hold party membership.

In summary, the laws of democratic nations must remain vigilant against the unlimited expansion of political parties. The essential boundary of such restrictions is to prevent party leaders from manipulating their parties for personal gain. A crucial measure to achieve this is prohibiting all party members from participating in government.