A leading expert asks if democracy can survive without political parties. The argument that Western democracy is being hollowed out, as political participation declines and party allegiance weakens, is now widely cited. Yet the indicators can be uncertain and until now there hasn't been a comprehensive comparative study.Ruling the Voidanalyzes democratic trends over the last few decades, in Europe and America, and argues that there are two complementary processes at work. Popular disengagement, and the withdrawal of political elites from a representative role, are both contributing to the death of the political party--and with it the characteristic form of Western democracy. This landmark study will become a reference point for anyone interested in the future of representative democracy.