Military
Independent
Political parties are an essential component of democracy. By competing in elections and mobilizing citizens behind particular visions of society as well as through their performance in the legislature, parties offer citizens meaningful choices in governance, avenues for political participation, and opportunities to shape their country’s future.
In many countries, however, political parties fail to respond to citizens’ concerns and are widely distrusted by the public. When public confidence in political parties is compromised, the entire democratic process suffers. In all sustainable democracies, the party system must be deeply and durably entrenched in the fabric of society.
For more than 25 years, NDI has worked with democratic parties in over 50 countries around the world to create more open political cnvironments in which citizens can actively participate in the democratic process. As a political party institute, NDI approaches its work from a practical viewpoint, sharing tools and techniques that parties can use to develop stronger connections to the public, mount competitive electoral campaigns, and perform more effectively in the legislature. The Institute’s multi-partisan programs seek to foster vibrant, competitive, and sustainable multiparty systems rather than to promote particular parties or ideologies.