A comparative analysis of the success of conservative political parties in democratic processes: A case study of Türkiye and Pakistan

This thesis examines the divergent success of conservative political parties in Türkiye and Pakistan through comparative case study analysis with a focus on the role of charismatic leadership as a key factor. Conservative movements have gained prominence globally, with nations like Türkiye seeing significant electoral success, exemplified by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (JDP), while similar parties in Pakistan, such as Jamat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), have struggled to achieve comparable results. The question answered here is why conservative political parties in Türkiye had significant success but their counterparts in Pakistan did not. Max Weber's theory of authority has been used to answer this question. First the concept of political spectrum has been discussed; later it has been implemented on the countries under observation. The research digs down into the study of the political spectrum and socio-political landscapes of both countries, examining their conservative foundations, post-independence governance, and shifts towards conservative politics. Despite similar beginnings, the countries diverged significantly, with Pakistan experiencing military rule and Türkiye moving towards centralized secular leadership. Post-2000, the dynamics of Türkiye changed under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whereas in Pakistan, the conservative parties could not replicate the same success. Drawing on Weber's theory of authority, the research posits that charismatic leaders like Erdoğan in Türkiye have been pivotal in the success of conservative political parties. The qualitative research analysis of the speeches of political leaders and the party documents has been done. The results of this paper are valuable because they give a whole new perspective and fill a lacuna in the literature. Because many other different reasons for the loss of conservative political parties in Pakistan have always been discussed, this new one hasn't been touched on, and this gives them a whole new perspective to work with and struggle with. Now policymakers can benefit from the recommendations in this paper.