Fat parties—lean candidates: Funding Israeli internal party contests

Israeli parties experimented with a range of internal selection methods during the 1991-2003 periods as they sought to gain an electoral edge over their rivals in the competitive multiparty system. The significance of the Israeli case lies in the fact that it deals with the funding of internal party selection in a national system of proportional representation. The 1977 transformation of the Israeli electoral scene from a system dominated by a single pivotal party into a polarized system in which the two biggest parties competed closely for leadership forced parties to re-evaluate their selection methods. In 1977, the Likud introduced a moderate reform by transferring to the party's Central Committee the power to elect its Knesset list. Israeli parties were involved in economic initiatives raised contributions, and collected membership dues. The introduction of primaries into the Israeli political system lengthened electoral campaigns and tremendously increased the costs of presenting candidacy in a major party.