"Not To Be Taken Personally": Tracing Six Decades of Scholarship on Personal, Personalist, and Personalized Political Parties (1960-2021)

This article systematically examines the academic literature on personalism and personalization in political parties. Its comprehensive review uses existing studies to (1) demonstrate that personalism has a rich and complex history; (2) outline conceptual differences within the literature related to size, clientelism, internal organization, centralization, and mediatic image; (3) trace patterns of institutionalization and de-personalization of personal parties; and (4) evaluate existing empirical and methodological approaches to the topic. Finally, the conclusion advocates for the adoption of a clear research agenda and proposes conceptual, quantitative, and discursive alternatives to what has already been done.