Mainstream or Niche? Vote-Seeking Incentives and the Programmatic Strategies of Political Parties. (October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Meyer, Thomas M.; Wagner, Markus
• Is Part Of: Comparative political studies. Volume 46:Number 10(2013)
• Page Start: 1246
• Page End: 1272
• Publication Date: 2013-10
• Subjects: party competition -- programmatic profiles -- vote-seeking incentives -- niche party -- mainstream party; Political science -- Periodicals; 320.05
• DOI: 10.1177/0010414013489080
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0010-4140

Abstract

Parties can choose to concentrate on topics which other parties cover relatively little. In such cases, they have a programmatic niche profile compared with their mainstream rivals. We argue that parties should be more likely to switch between a niche and a mainstream profile in response to unsatisfactory electoral results. However, these vote-seeking incentives to change salience profiles should have greater influence on parties that are small, young, and/or in opposition. Such parties will find it easier and more attractive to change their salience profiles. We use a measure of niche profiles based on manifesto coding and test our hypotheses in 22 countries with a transition model. For niche-to-mainstream transitions in party profiles, the results confirm our expectations, but vote-seeking incentives do not lead mainstream parties to shift to a niche profile. The results of this article have implications for our understanding of the dynamics of party competition in multiparty systems.