The effect of party systems on the separation of powers

Political parties have played a central role in the political sphere since their emergence on the stage of history. Due to this centrality, parties have various effects on the principle of separation of powers and government systems. For this reason, evaluations on constitutional functioning without considering party systems as a concept that expresses the interaction of parties will reflect a very limited reality. This is because the actual functioning of democratic governmental systems that aim to realize the separation of powers varies significantly depending on the party system. Nevertheless, the notion of party system is not included in the evaluation of the separation of powers and the system of institutions in the literature. This causes an adaptation problem between the constitutional functioning and the theoretical considerations in the literature. In order to overcome this deficiency in the literature to some extent, the thesis analyzes the effect of party systems on the separation of powers. To this end, a conceptual introduction is presented by addressing issues such as the classification of party systems, their relationship with electoral systems and systemic change. On the other hand, the genealogy of the separation of powers theory is presented with a comprehensive account of its historical development. Finally, the effective role of party systems on the separation of powers within the framework of their interaction with the three main systems of government is shed light on. Thus, the shortcomings of the classical separation of powers narrative are pointed out and an alternative view of the separation of powers within the framework of party systems is put forward.