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Show 90 CHAPTER III ANALYSIS While Chapter II discussed the existing literature, developed hypotheses, and elaborated on the strategic interaction model, that the electoral fortunes of niche parties depend on the strategies that both mainstream and niche parties employ in a given socioeconomic and institutional context, this chapter tests those hypotheses and models. The results of these tests reveal a more nuanced understanding of niche party success. More specifically, to illustrate one of the nuances, strategic variables like electoral alliances are found to be a double-edged sword for niche parties. On the one hand, running as an electoral alliance will likely result in the niche party obtaining fewer seats in the legislature, but on the other hand, an electoral alliance is an influential method for getting mainstream parties to pay more attention to niche issues in their platforms. Both are treated as measures of success in this project, so it becomes a question of having more influence on niche issues by obtaining representation or by pushing mainstream parties to address the niche issue. Additionally, the results reveal that having coalition experience prior to an election is not beneficial to niche parties, who are expected to see their percent of the vote decrease. Putting these findings together, niche parties need to carefully weigh the pros and cons before competing in an electoral |
