Here are some data showing just how unusual this 2020 RNC "platform" is. In short: I can't say that a party in a democratic country has never issued a platform like this, but I CAN say that I have no evidence of it happening

What makes it so weird is that there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO policy content. The platform only affirms support for an individual. This is not how party platforms work in democracies. Let me show you...

First, for those who want to "well actually..." me about how platform reaffirms support for the 2016 iteration:

The 2020 RNC Platform literally makes 0(!!) policy statements, only affirms support for Trump. How common is this? The @manifesto_proj has data on up to 100 years worth of party platforms from over 60 countries. In 4582 platforms, NOT A SINGLE ONE makes 0 policy statements

NONE

Looking at the US in the last 100 years, Dems and Reps average OVER 700 policy statements and the number has been growing as the world becomes more complex and government competencies grow. Have a look (these numbers are big, so I’ve plotted the log of the raw count):

How about globally? On average, platforms make around 570 policy statements. The lowest recorded number of policy statements prior to 2020 RNC was a 4-way tie at 8: all irrelevant parties winning trivial vote totals.

Parties making very few policy statements are overwhelmingly single-issue parties or nationalist parties. Of course, parties making 0 policy statements are uncharted territory in a democracy.

Among, major parties, those winning 20% of the vote or more, less than 17% have ever issued a platform with fewer than 100 policy statements and less than 5% have issued a platform with fewer than 50

Over 60 countries and 100 years, the Trump Republican Party is sui generis in its emptiness