Party finance

This chapter examines the key debates that have been emerging in the literature on political party funding. It starts by discussing how research has responded to the expansion of data on parties’ financial assets and the increasing number of rules that have been introduced on party funding worldwide. Next it distinguishes between two main regulatory approaches to party funding, the continental European and the Anglo-Saxon ones, and outlines their different concerns and the research questions associated with them. The chapter concludes by pointing to the relevant gaps within the field and suggests possible avenues for future research. Additionally, a convergence between the European and the Anglo-Saxon scholarly research on party funding is envisaged.