Democracies without parties

The belief that modem democracy is party democracy is widespread. However, the belief may be questioned. A number of small independent island states t hat subscribe to a high extent to democratic values, standards, and institu tions manage without political parties. In all, six such cases exist, namel y, Belau (Palau), the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Is lands, Nauru, and Tuvalu. The analysis of these cases is guided by three ge neral assumptions: (a) the impact of diminutive size on the existence and n umber of parties, (b) the corresponding impact of geographical noncontiguit y, and (c) the impact of culturally defined resistances against party life and party rule. Comparisons with conditions in other small island states su ggest that the assumptions are valid given that extreme values are entered into the analysis. Extreme smallness, an extremely archipelagic geography, and an intense cultural resistance all contribute to an absence of politica l parties in democracies.