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The changing circumstances in which parties compete in contemporary democracies coupled with the changing circumstances in which governments govern have led to a widening of the traditional gap between responsible and representative government. Although it is generally seen as desirable that parties in government be both representative and responsible, these two characteristics are now becoming increasingly incompatible. Meanwhile, because of changes in their organizations and their relationship with civil society, political parties are no longer in a position to bridge this gap or even to persuade voters to accept it as a necessary element in political life. This growing incompatibility is one of the principal sources of the democratic malaise in Western democracies today.