POLITICAL PARTIES IN HONDURAS: AN ANALYSIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HISTORY AND LAW STUDENTS

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the concept, membership, and characteristics of political parties in Honduras based on the perceptions of students in the History and Law careers at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. The approaches proposed by Geovanni Sartori and Jordi Matas on the concept and functions of political parties are the basis of this analysis. These proposals were compared with students’ perceptions captured through an electronic survey.

Thus, the main nuances for defining Honduran political parties are identified, establishing relationships with their membership levels. Furthermore, based on the theoretically recognized functions, four party characteristics are identified: ideological fragility, political fragmentation, channels for private demands, and the decline of democracy. This work is important in the context of the party fragmentation of the current century, the change in the party system in 2013, and the primary and general elections of 2025.