This dissertation examines two interconnected research questions: What
conditions give rise and lead to the electoral success of anti-establishment parties and
what are the consequences of this electoral success? Literature concerning anti-establishment
parties fails to investigate this phenomenon in its entirety by focusing
disproportionately on the electoral success of these parties neglecting the consequences
of this electoral success. Although the electoral success of anti-establishment parties and
the subsequent consequences have different theoretical underpinnings, the effects that
anti-establishment parties have on individual parties and the party system are dependent
upon the electoral success of these of parties. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on
both the electoral success and the consequences of anti-establishment parties in Western
Europe.
Concerning electoral success, this dissertation offers a new approach to the
literature by arguing that anti-establishment parties, regardless of their placement on the
political spectrum, are born out of the dissatisfaction towards traditional parties within
the electorate. Using quantitative analyses of eighteen Western European countries covering the time period 1970-2005, this dissertation offers a unified analysis of anti-establishment
parties, regardless of their placement on the political spectrum, examining
the political, social, and economic conditions that give rise to the anti-establishment
party phenomenon. The findings indicate that while the factors leading to the emergence
of anti-establishment parties may be the same regardless of the placement of these
parties on the political spectrum, the factors leading to their electoral success are
dependent upon their ideological orientation.
Furthermore, the electoral success of these new parties has consequences for
other individual parties and the broader party system. This dissertation argues that the
existence of these parties alone is not enough to accomplish this aim; these parties must
be seen as threats to existing mainstream parties on either the left or the right or in some
cases, both. In order to counter the threat from these anti-establishment parties,
traditional parties may change their ideological positions or organizational structures.
Utilizing qualitative (face-to-face interviews with party elites) and evidence from party
manifestos from 1970-2005 in six countries, these analyses indicate that the electoral
success of anti-establishment parties affects individual parties by altering the ideological
placement, particularly on issues relevant to anti-establishment party electoral success.
To a lesser extent, traditional parties alter their organizational structures (i.e., allocating
more power to rank-and-file members, regional, and local branches), in order to counter
this new electoral threat.
Moreover, the electoral success of anti-establishment parties causes instability
within the broader party system. Utilizing quantitative, statistical methods to analyze eighteen western European countries between 1970 and 2005, this dissertation finds that
the electoral success of anti-establishment parties increases the amount of electoral
volatility and the amount of polarization both within the system and between traditional
parties. However, anti-establishment parties do not mobilize the electorate leading to
increases voter turnout in these eighteen countries. Finally, anti-establishment parties,
by gaining seats in national legislatures, upset the traditional coalitional dynamics. As
such, the electoral success of anti-establishment parties leads to shorter coalitional
governments within the party systems of Western Europe.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2009-05-638 |
| Date | 2009 May 1900 |
| Creators | Smith, Jason |
| Contributors | Harmel, Robert |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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