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Two main definitions of democracy have been used in the analysis of union politics; either as leadership responsiveness to membership opinion, or as the institutionalization of opposition. This paper rejects both definitions, instead defining democracy as the survival of faction. The survival of faction is explained by the pressures which prevent union Executives from destroying it. These pressures fall into twelve categories: political culture; government attitudes and behaviour; membership distribution; industrial setting; economic environment; technology; source of union bargaining power; membership characteristics; membership beliefs; opposition expertise and resources; leadership beliefs; and union structure. The contrasting political histories of the A.E.U. and the N.U.R. are explained by contrasting patterns of constraints. The paper concludes with a formal statement of the characteristics associated with union democracy.

This paper reports an extension of the Aston studies of organizational structure to the field of occupational interest associations. The sample consisted of six trade unions and one professional association. The structural consequences of the democratic institutions of occupational interest associations were examined and a high degree of electoral control over full-time officials was found to be associated with lower levels of the standardization of procedures, and this was related to the theories of Max Weber.