Why do some political parties flourish, while others flounder? In this book, Meguid examines variation in the electoral trajectories of the new set of single-issue parties: green, radical right, and ethnoterritorial parties. Instead of being dictated by electoral institutions or the socioeconomic climate, as the dominant theories contend, the fortunes of these niche parties, she argues, are shaped by the strategic responses of mainstream parties. She advances a new theory of party competition in which mainstream parties facing unequal competitors have access to a wider and more effective set of strategies than posited by standard spatial models. Combining statistical analyzes with in-depth case studies from Western Europe, the book explores how and why established parties undermine niche parties or turn them into weapons against their mainstream party opponents. This study of competition between unequals thus provides broader insights into the nature and outcome of competition between political equals.

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Meguid, Bonnie M.

Greenwich Medical Media Ltd

Cambridge studies in comparative politics, Cambridge, New York, England, 2008

Cambridge studies in comparative politics, Cambridge, London, England, 2007

Cambridge studies in comparative politics, Cambridge, 2010, ©2007

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2008

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Illustrated, 2010-03-04

Illustrated, PS, 2010

Illustrated, 2008

2009

0

lg219990

producers:
Textures + Distiller

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Includes bibliographical references (p. 283-303) and index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
List of Tables and Figures......Page 10
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 17
1 The Niche Party Phenomenon......Page 21
The niche party phenomenon......Page 23
Institutional Approaches......Page 26
Sociological Approaches......Page 30
A strategic party explanation of niche party fortune......Page 34
Methodology and case selection......Page 36
Organization of the book......Page 40
2 Position, Salience, and Ownership: A Strategic Theory of Niche Party Success......Page 42
Bases of Voter Support......Page 43
Facets of Party Strategy......Page 44
An Expanded Tool Kit......Page 47
Non-Issue-based Strategies......Page 50
Changing the Nature of Party Competition: The Critical Role of Nonproximal Parties......Page 52
Hypotheses of the position, salience, and ownership theory......Page 53
The Need to Be "Responsible"......Page 55
The Need to Be Timely......Page 57
Conclusion......Page 58
3 An Analysis of Niche Party Fortunes in Western Europe......Page 61
Dependent Variable......Page 62
Independent Variables......Page 66
Findings of the Nonstrategic Models......Page 74
Findings of the Strategic Models......Page 77
Comparing the Explanatory Power of the PSO and Standard Spatial Theories......Page 80
From one model to many: disaggregating the niche party category......Page 82
Party-Specific Models and Analysis......Page 84
Extension to ethnoterritorial parties......Page 87
Mainstream Party Strategies......Page 89
Institutional and Sociological Factors......Page 91
Models and analysis of ethnoterritorial party vote......Page 93
Findings......Page 94
Radical Right Party Electoral Trajectory......Page 96
Ethnoterritorial Party Electoral Trajectory......Page 99
Conclusion......Page 102
4 A Theory of Strategic Choice......Page 111
The nature of competition between unequals......Page 112
Under what conditions do parties choose particular strategies? a model of strategic choice......Page 115
Niche Party Threat......Page 116
Contextualizing Strategic Choice: The Role of Electoral Systems......Page 117
Contextualizing Strategic Choice: The Interaction of Mainstream Parties......Page 119
Constraints to the Implementation of Rational Strategies......Page 124
Conclusion......Page 127
5 Stealing the Environmental Title: British Mainstream Party Strategies and the Containment of the Green Party......Page 130
The political and electoral environment of post-world war ii britain: the destabilization of british politics......Page 132
The electoral trajectory of the green party......Page 135
Understanding the green party's electoral trajectory......Page 137
Strategic Responses to the Green Party Competitor......Page 139
1987-92: The Rise of the Green Party Threat......Page 142
1992-97: Green Party Electoral Decline......Page 150
1987-92: The Battle to Be "Green"......Page 153
1992-97: The Crowning of a New "Environmental" Party......Page 157
An alternative explanation: the role of the liberal democrats......Page 159
Conclusion......Page 161
6 "The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend": French Mainstream Party Strategies and the Success of the French Front National......Page 163
French electoral and political environment of the fifth republic......Page 165
The rise of the front national (1972-97)......Page 168
Institutional Explanations Prove Insufficient......Page 171
Findings Run Counter to Sociological Expectations......Page 173
1972-81: The Emergence (and Isolation) of the Front National......Page 175
1981-86: The Growing Front National Threat and the Asymmetrical Response of the Mainstream Party Actors......Page 177
1986-88: The Entrenchment of the Front National......Page 185
1988-93: The Strengthening of the Niche Party......Page 189
1993-97: Front National: A Permanent Member of the Party System?......Page 195
1997 And beyond: the implantation of the front national and its strategic causes......Page 201
A Modified Spatial Account of Front National Electoral Support......Page 202
The role of a divided and noncredible gaullist party: a spatially based alternative explanation......Page 207
Conclusion......Page 209
7 An Unequal Battle of Opposing Forces: Mainstream Party Strategies and the Success of the Scottish National Party......Page 212
The scottish political and electoral environment......Page 213
Nationalism in ascendancy: the scottish national party (1966-97)......Page 217
Standard approaches to understanding ethnoterritorial party success......Page 219
Institutional Explanations Fall Short......Page 220
Sociological Theories: Conflicting Expectations and Insignificant Answers......Page 221
1967-70: Mainstream Parties Respond to an Emerging Scottish Threat......Page 223
1970-73: Disappointing Results and the Downplaying of the Devolution Issue......Page 225
1973-77: Mainstream Party Factionalism in the Face of a Rising Scottish National Party Challenge......Page 228
1977-79: Conservative Hostility and Labour Division in the Face of a Sustained Scottish National Party Threat......Page 236
1979-87: Scottish National Party Retreat and the Downplaying of Devolution......Page 243
1987-97: Return of Devolution and the Phoenix-like Rise of the Scottish National Party......Page 246
Why devolution was not an "antidote to nationalism": the effects of the mainstream parties' strategies......Page 250
Testing the PSO Theory: Shifts in Issue Salience, Issue Ownership, and Voters......Page 251
An alternative hypothesis: was labour accommodating the wrong issue position?......Page 263
Conclusion......Page 265
8 Cross-National Comparisons and Extensions......Page 267
From three to six: understanding niche party fortunes across france and britain......Page 268
The Green Parties of Britain and France: Different Strategies with Similar Outcomes......Page 271
Radical Right Parties of Britain and France: Opposite Intensities Lead to Opposite Outcomes......Page 272
Ethnoterritorial Parties of Britain and France: Different Strategic Intensities and Different Outcomes......Page 274
United States: A Mainstream Party Strengthening Green Party Support......Page 277
Australia: Niche Party Containment by Mainstream Party Tactics......Page 284
Conclusion......Page 292
9 Conclusions: Broader Lessons of Competition between Unequals......Page 293
A strategic explanation of niche party success and failure......Page 294
Strategies toward Niche Parties as Drivers of Institutional Change......Page 297
Challenges to Models of Party Competition......Page 298
Challenges to the Nature and Stability of Party Systems......Page 300
Statistical Data......Page 303
Other Primary and Secondary Sources......Page 306
Index......Page 325

Cover 1
Half-title 3
Series-title 5
Dedication 6
Title 7
Copyright 8
Contents 9
List of Tables and Figures 10
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms 13
Acknowledgments 17
1 The Niche Party Phenomenon 21
The niche party phenomenon 23
Standard responses to variation in new party electoral success and their limitations 26
Institutional Approaches 26
Sociological Approaches 30
A strategic party explanation of niche party fortune 34
Methodology and case selection 36
Organization of the book 40
2 Position, Salience, and Ownership: A Strategic Theory of Niche Party Success 42
Understanding party interaction 43
Bases of Voter Support 43
Facets of Party Strategy 44
The position, salience, and ownership theory of party competition 47
An Expanded Tool Kit 47
Non-Issue-based Strategies 50
Changing the Nature of Party Competition: The Critical Role of Nonproximal Parties 52
Hypotheses of the position, salience, and ownership theory 53
Contextualizing party behavior: constraints to strategic effectiveness 55
The Need to Be "Responsible" 55
The Need to Be Timely 57
Conclusion 58
3 An Analysis of Niche Party Fortunes in Western Europe 61
Operationalization of variables 62
Dependent Variable 62
Independent Variables 66
Models and analysis 74
Findings of the Nonstrategic Models 74
Findings of the Strategic Models 77
Comparing the Explanatory Power of the PSO and Standard Spatial Theories 80
From one model to many: disaggregating the niche party category 82
Party-Specific Models and Analysis 84
Extension to ethnoterritorial parties 87
Mainstream Party Strategies 89
Institutional and Sociological Factors 91
Models and analysis of ethnoterritorial party vote 93
Findings 94
From one election to many: explaining a niche party's electoral trajectory 96
Radical Right Party Electoral Trajectory 96
Ethnoterritorial Party Electoral Trajectory 99
Conclusion 102
4 A Theory of Strategic Choice 111
The nature of competition between unequals 112
Under what conditions do parties choose particular strategies? a model of strategic choice 115
Niche Party Threat 116
Contextualizing Strategic Choice: The Role of Electoral Systems 117
Contextualizing Strategic Choice: The Interaction of Mainstream Parties 119
Constraints to the Implementation of Rational Strategies 124
Conclusion 127
5 Stealing the Environmental Title: British Mainstream Party Strategies and the Containment of the Green Party 130
The political and electoral environment of post-world war ii britain: the destabilization of british politics 132
The electoral trajectory of the green party 135
Understanding the green party's electoral trajectory 137
Strategic Responses to the Green Party Competitor 139
1987-92: The Rise of the Green Party Threat 142
1992-97: Green Party Electoral Decline 150
Interactive effects of mainstream strategies: quelling the green beast 153
1987-92: The Battle to Be "Green" 153
1992-97: The Crowning of a New "Environmental" Party 157
An alternative explanation: the role of the liberal democrats 159
Conclusion 161
6 "The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend": French Mainstream Party Strategies and the Success of the French Front National 163
French electoral and political environment of the fifth republic 165
The rise of the front national (1972-97) 168
Standard explanations for radical right party success 171
Institutional Explanations Prove Insufficient 171
Findings Run Counter to Sociological Expectations 173
A strategic explanation of the front national's success 175
1972-81: The Emergence (and Isolation) of the Front National 175
1981-86: The Growing Front National Threat and the Asymmetrical Response of the Mainstream Party Actors 177
1986-88: The Entrenchment of the Front National 185
1988-93: The Strengthening of the Niche Party 189
1993-97: Front National: A Permanent Member of the Party System? 195
1997 And beyond: the implantation of the front national and its strategic causes 201
A Modified Spatial Account of Front National Electoral Support 202
The role of a divided and noncredible gaullist party: a spatially based alternative explanation 207
Conclusion 209
7 An Unequal Battle of Opposing Forces: Mainstream Party Strategies and the Success of the Scottish National Party 212
The scottish political and electoral environment 213
Nationalism in ascendancy: the scottish national party (1966-97) 217
Standard approaches to understanding ethnoterritorial party success 219
Institutional Explanations Fall Short 220
Sociological Theories: Conflicting Expectations and Insignificant Answers 221
A strategic explanation of the scottish national party's success 223
1967-70: Mainstream Parties Respond to an Emerging Scottish Threat 223
1970-73: Disappointing Results and the Downplaying of the Devolution Issue 225
1973-77: Mainstream Party Factionalism in the Face of a Rising Scottish National Party Challenge 228
1977-79: Conservative Hostility and Labour Division in the Face of a Sustained Scottish National Party Threat 236
1979-87: Scottish National Party Retreat and the Downplaying of Devolution 243
1987-97: Return of Devolution and the Phoenix-like Rise of the Scottish National Party 246
Why devolution was not an "antidote to nationalism": the effects of the mainstream parties' strategies 250
Testing the PSO Theory: Shifts in Issue Salience, Issue Ownership, and Voters 251
An alternative hypothesis: was labour accommodating the wrong issue position? 263
Conclusion 265
8 Cross-National Comparisons and Extensions 267
From three to six: understanding niche party fortunes across france and britain 268
The Green Parties of Britain and France: Different Strategies with Similar Outcomes 271
Radical Right Parties of Britain and France: Opposite Intensities Lead to Opposite Outcomes 272
Ethnoterritorial Parties of Britain and France: Different Strategic Intensities and Different Outcomes 274
Extensions of the theory: party competition in other advanced industrial democracies 277
United States: A Mainstream Party Strengthening Green Party Support 277
Australia: Niche Party Containment by Mainstream Party Tactics 284
Conclusion 292
9 Conclusions: Broader Lessons of Competition between Unequals 293
A strategic explanation of niche party success and failure 294
Larger theoretical implications 297
Strategies toward Niche Parties as Drivers of Institutional Change 297
Challenges to Models of Party Competition 298
Challenges to the Nature and Stability of Party Systems 300
References 303
Collections of Public and Private Papers 303
Statistical Data 303
Other Primary and Secondary Sources 306
Index 325

Why do some political parties flourish, while others flounder? In this book, Meguid examines variation in the electoral trajectories of the new set of single-issue parties: green, radical right, and ethnoterritorial parties. Instead of being dictated by electoral institutions or the socioeconomic climate, as the dominant theories contend, the fortunes of these niche parties, she argues, are shaped by the strategic responses of mainstream parties. She advances a theory of party competition in which mainstream parties facing unequal competitors have access to a wider and more effective set of strategies than posited by standard spatial models. Combining statistical analyses with in-depth case studies from Western Europe, the book explores how and why established parties undermine niche parties or turn them into weapons against their mainstream party opponents. This study of competition between unequals thus provides broader insights into the nature and outcome of competition between political equals.

2010-02-18