Political parties hold a central place in contemporary democracies. However, the function and role of the political party is being questioned more and more. Less than three percent of the Dutch voters are members of a political party, and the number of parties (and factions) is historically high. Political scientist Susan Scarrow explores the history of the evolution of political parties in European democracies since the 1970s. How did parties respond to new challenges of representation? What do the current developments say about the state of our contemporary democracy?