Competition Between Unequals: The Role of Mainstream Party Strategy in Niche Party Success

2005/08/01 by Bonnie M. Meguid, BONNIE M. MEGUID · 1 voice · 1,377 citations
Social Sciences · #Business #Competition (biology) #Competitor analysis #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Law #Mainstream #Marketing #Niche #Political economy #Political science #Politics #Populism, Right-Wing Movements #Salience (neuroscience) #Social Policy and Reform Studies #Sociology

paper · doi:10.1017/s0003055405051701

published in American Political Science Review 99(3), 347-359 (Cambridge University Press)

openalex publication_date 2005/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

What accounts for variation in the electoral success of niche parties? Although institutional and sociological explanations of single-issue party strength have been dominant, they tend to remove parties from the analysis. In this article, I argue that the behavior of mainstream parties influences the electoral fortunes of the new, niche party actors. In contrast to standard spatial theories, my theory recognizes that party tactics work by altering the salience and ownership of issues for political competition, not just party issue positions. It follows that niche party support can be shaped by both proximal and non-proximal competitors. Analysis of green and radical right party vote in 17 Western European countries from 1970 to 2000 confirms that mainstream party strategies matter; the modified spatial theory accounts for the failure and success of niche parties across countries and over time better than institutional, sociological, and even standard spatial explanations.

Citations

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Discussions

• Aber: Die Mehrheit der Forschung zeigt, dass solche Strategien selten klare Stimmengewinne versprechen. Was sie jedoch fast immer bewirken, ist eine Themenverschiebung hin zu jenen Politikfeldern, in [bsky, 5 points, 1 comments]

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