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Show 12 course of time. In other words, I make no assumption that what I refer to throughout the paper as a ‘niche party' actually satisfies the definition for every election. It is possible, even if it does not happen easily or frequently, for a niche party to transition into a mainstream party, and equally, for a mainstream party to become niche-like over time. This is, once again, a strategic element that will be investigated during this project. In conclusion, niche parties, at their creation, center around one magnetic issue or cluster of related issues that are perceived by voters as having been neglected or inadequately addressed by mainstream parties. This definition will be used for the identification of niche parties and it also permits sufficient flexibility to explore the decisions, changes, and strategies that occur, and vary, during the lifespans of these parties. Which Niche Parties? While the conceptualization of niche parties in the previous section applies to all niche parties, for the remainder of this dissertation, I limit my scope. Across Europe there are two types of niche parties that have repeatedly emerged in nearly all countries: those which focus on the environment (green parties), and those which focus on minority groups, like immigrants or ethnic groups (usually under the banner of radical right parties).4 This choice is echoed by Mudde who explains, "In fact, only two new party families have been able to establish themselves in a multitude of European countries since the Second World War: the Greens (or New Politics) and the populist radical right. And only the latter has been able to gain results in both parts of Europe" (2007, 1). Due 4 While most niche environmental parties are also referred to as green parties, niche antiimmigration parties are referred to by a plethora of names such as far-right, extreme right, new right, and radical right (Golder 2003, 443; Mudde 2007, 11-12). |
