Party Strategies, Voter Demands and Territorial Reform in Belgium

How do parties decide when to campaign on valence issues given high degrees of uncertainty? Although past studies have provided evidence of transnational emulation of parties' position-taking strategies, these findings do not directly apply to saliency strategies. Moreover, the exact diffusion mechanism remains largely elusive. Based on the issue saliency literature, this study develops novel theoretical propositions and argues that conscious learning enables parties to infer the relative utility of emphasizing consensual issues during an electoral campaign. The proposed theory gives rise to different expectations at the domestic and transnational levels because of the distinct logic of issue competition. By analyzing environmental issue emphasis in party manifestos, the authors find direct transnational dependencies and indirect spillover effects among the parties' saliency strategies. They identify conscious learning, rather than mere imitation or independent decision making, as the diffusion mechanism at work. Yet, in line with saliency-based theories, electoral competition mutes the diffusion of electoral strategies domestically.

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Designing Electoral Institutions: STV Systems and Their Consequences

Political Studies ◽

10.1111/j.1467-9248.1996.tb00755.x ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 24-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

David M. Farrell ◽

Malcolm Mackerras ◽

Ian McAllister

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Party System ◽

Proportional Representation ◽

The Political ◽

Political Systems ◽

Electoral Institutions ◽

Generic Type ◽

Single Transferable Vote ◽

Party Strategies

Although championed by advocates of proportional representation, the single transferable vote form of PR has been used consistently in only a small number of countries – principally Australia, Ireland and Malta. This paper examines the origins and development of STV and its implications for the political systems that use it. The results show that STV varies so widely in its form and application, differing on no less than five major characteristics, that it is impossible to identify any single generic type. These differences are also reflected in the party strategies that are used to maximize the vote under STV. A regression analysis of the various types of STV shows that Malta is the most proportional system, followed by Ireland and Tasmania. Ireland has the largest party system among the countries that use STV, net of other factors.

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Re-evaluating the post-communist success story: party elite loyalty, citizen mobilization and the erosion of Hungarian democracy

European Political Science Review ◽

10.1017/s1755773914000472 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 251-284 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Lise Esther Herman

Keyword(s):

Cultural Change ◽

Democratic Consolidation ◽

Future Research ◽

Eastern European ◽

The European Union ◽

Success Story ◽

Party Strategies ◽

Hungarian Case ◽

Constitutional Revolution

In light of the instability of several Central Eastern European democracies following their accession to the European Union, most dramatically embodied by the ‘constitutional revolution’ taking place in Hungary since April 2010, this paper offers a critical reading of the dominant, rational-institutionalist model of democratic consolidation. Drawing on the Hungarian case, it argues that the conditions set out by this model are insufficient for ensuring a democratic regime against erosion. On this basis, the paper considers additional elements to understand Fidesz’s reforms: the importance of deeper commitments to democracy among the leadership of mainstream parties, and the pivotal role of party strategies of citizen mobilization in the consolidation of young democracies. Drawing on these insights, the paper argues for approaching democratic consolidation as an agent-led process of cultural change, emphasizing the socializing role of mainstream parties’ strategies of mobilization in the emergence of a democratic political culture. The last section concludes with methodological and empirical considerations, outlining a three-fold agenda for future research.

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RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LMX AND SUBORDINATES' FEEDBACK-SEEKING BEHAVIORS

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.2007.35.5.659 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 35 (5) ◽

pp. 659-674 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Hye Eun Lee ◽

Hee Sun Park ◽

Tai Sik Lee ◽

Dong Wook Lee

Keyword(s):

South Korea ◽

Social Cost ◽

Civil Engineering ◽

Source Credibility ◽

Third Party ◽

Leader Member Exchange ◽

Feedback Seeking ◽

Party Strategies ◽

Member Exchange ◽

The Relationship

Relationships among subordinates' feedback-seeking strategy preferences, Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), social cost, and source credibility were examined. Employees (N = 134) of civil engineering companies in South Korea completed a questionnaire. Findings showed that LMX quality, social cost, and source credibility either independently or jointly influenced subordinates' feedback-seeking strategy preferences. LMX was positively related to preference for using direct strategies, but not significantly related to preferences for using indirect strategies and for using third-party strategies. As moderators, increases in social cost and source credibility were associated with changes in the relationship between LMX and preference for third-party strategies. More detailed explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.

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Opposition Growth in Dominant Party Systems: Coalitions in South Africa

Government and Opposition ◽

10.1017/gov.2013.31 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 290-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Danielle Langfield

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Party System ◽

Cape Town ◽

Party Systems ◽

Western Cape ◽

Western Cape Province ◽

Dominant Party ◽

Party Strategies ◽

Party Elites ◽

Dominant Parties

What is responsible for the decline of democratically dominant parties and the corresponding growth of competitive party systems? This article argues that, despite a ruling party's dominance, opposition forces can gain by winning important subnational offices and then creating a governance record that they can use to win new supporters. It focuses on South Africa as a paradigmatic dominant party system, tracing the increased competitiveness of elections in Cape Town and the surrounding Western Cape province between 1999 and 2010. These events show how party strategies may evolve, reflecting how party elites can learn from forming coalitions.

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