The study traces the development of the French National Front. As a new political party in an old party system, the development of the Front offers a unique opportunity to examine the currently popular theories related to the changing roles of political parties in advanced industrialized societies. / By way of introduction, we give special attention to the political antecedents of the National Front. This involves a detailed discussion of the complex web of cleavage structures which formed the political and ideological cradle in which the National Front was nourished. In addition, we recognize that the development, from creation to political durability, of any new political movement, involves a complex mix of elite actions and mass response, which are in turn influenced by the context of specific institutional and political facilitators. / These points are addressed by employing a blend of research strategies. This multi-method approach involves a consideration of the voluminous literature, both popular and academic, which has recently appeared on the French National Front. Elite interviews with the political leadership of the Front form the cornerstone of the methodology. In addition, mass level survey data is utilized to illustrate the contemporary manifestation of the cleavage structures upon which the Front is based. / Emphasis is placed on identifying the political and institutional factors which facilitated the development of the party at three distinct levels: (1) creation, (2) electoral success, and (3) durability. The role of the French political elite in transforming the cleavages into a competitive political party is linked to specific institutional and political facilitators at three distinct levels of the party's development. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-07, Section: A, page: 2526. / Major Professor: Russell Dalton. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76664 |
| Contributors | DeClair, Edward G., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 336 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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