Discusses the problem of insufficient explanatory power of traditional state regime and geopolitical strategic analysis frameworks against the backdrop of profound adjustments in the international system amid the century-long transformation, frequent geopolitical conflicts, and the spillover effects of Western political polarization. Emphasizes that party politics, as an important intermediary variable connecting society and the state as well as the domestic and international spheres, profoundly shapes the political trajectories of various countries and their regional behavioral patterns. Meanwhile, points out that the Western-centric research paradigm of party politics is facing shocks from new phenomena in European and American practice, and proposes that analyzing party politics within specific national and regional contexts can provide a more explanatory framework for understanding contemporary state behavior, regional conflicts, and dilemmas in global governance.

I. The Intrinsic Compatibility Between Party Politics Research and Area Studies

Explores the intrinsic connection between party politics research and area studies. Area studies takes comprehensive understanding of the political, economic, social, and cultural structures of specific countries as its core objective, while party politics serves as a crucial perspective for accessing the operational mechanisms of national politics. Party politics research encompasses three levels: the organizational form and operational mechanisms of political parties themselves, the types and structural characteristics of party systems, and the relationship between party politics and state regimes, legal systems, and political culture. As institutionalized sociopolitical organizations, political parties are distinguished from general social groups by their institutionalized elements including organizational structure, membership system, ideological programs, and disciplinary finances. The historical experiences and cultural traditions of different countries have shaped the diversity of party forms, with differences in formation paths, social bases, and organizational operations reflecting the deep characteristics of each country's political and social structures. Party systems do not exist in abstraction but gradually form and evolve under specific national political institutions and social conditions; one-party systems, two-party systems, multiparty systems, and their variants present diverse operational effects in different countries. Examining party systems in specific contexts can avoid simplistic application of universal paradigms and enhance theoretical flexibility and analytical depth in research. Party politics is deeply embedded in the operation of state institutions, performing functions such as political integration, policy formulation, and political mobilization, serving as both the main participant in electoral competition and an important intermediary connecting social demands with state power. The relational patterns between political parties and regimes, including how parties embed themselves in parliamentary operations and participate in government formation and policy-making, constitute the key to understanding the logic of national political operation. Party politics research needs to systematically analyze how party roles and functions unfold in specific institutional environments, exploring the interaction mechanisms between parties and regimes, parliamentary politics, electoral systems, legal order, and political culture. Political parties are not actors independent of institutional structures; their organizational methods, competitive strategies, and political behavior are shaped by constitutional arrangements, legal systems, and political culture, while their operational status also continuously influences the evolution of institutional practices and political norms. Neglecting this crucial dimension of party politics, area studies would find it difficult to adequately explain the direction of national policies, the evolution of regional conflicts, and the successes and failures of international cooperation mechanisms.

II. Theoretical Tensions and Problem Consciousness in Contemporary Party Politics Research

Discusses the theoretical tensions and problem consciousness facing contemporary party politics research. First points out the core assumptions of traditional theoretical frameworks, including that parties integrate social interests, stabilize political order, and possess self-adjustment capabilities, but changes in party politics in the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries since 2016 have overturned these understandings. Then proposes four key challenges: first, the problem of party representation has taken on new forms, as party mobilization of specific groups may exacerbate social division; second, changes in modes of party competition, with high levels of antagonism reducing institutions to instruments of gaming; third, the relationship between parties and political elite formation mechanisms has become prominent, affecting governance capacity; fourth, evaluation criteria need to be redefined from dimensions including national governance and global responsibility. Finally emphasizes that China's new type of party system provides an important reference for comparative research, with its accountability functions possessing unique value, and these theoretical tensions provide opportunities for area studies to expand its research.

III. Several Approaches to Party Politics Research from the Perspective of Area Studies

Explores four core approaches to party politics research within the framework of area studies: first, redefining political parties as intermediary channels between society and the state, examining them within dynamic structures; second, paying attention to the spillover effects of party politics, incorporating them into analyses of regional political interactions; third, examining the actual operation of different institutional arrangements through a de-universalized comparative perspective; fourth, combining with macro-level issues such as state governance capacity and institutional resilience to deepen understanding of the quality of party operation. The research emphasizes promoting continuous reflection on party functions, responsibilities, and modes of institutional embedding through open problem consciousness and multi-dimensional comparison.

IV. Conclusion: Re-examining Party Politics Research from the Perspective of Area Studies Discipline Construction

Discusses the intrinsic logical connection between party politics research and area studies research, pointing out that area studies deepens understanding of the logic of national political operation through multi-dimensional analytical frameworks, while party politics, as an important intermediary connecting social structure, state institutions, and political action, has increasingly prominent research value in this discipline. Meanwhile emphasizes that the interdisciplinary perspective of area studies provides new space for party politics research to respond to contemporary theoretical challenges; party politics research is not only a research object but also an important methodological path for connecting the analytical levels of "society—state—region." Finally proposes that in the future, issues should be expanded and tools enriched through interdisciplinary cooperation to respond to the practical challenges of contemporary world political development.