Preface and Acknowledgments
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 December 2009
Summary
In considering the explanation for the varying fortunes of contemporary radical right parties, my thoughts turned to my previous book, Electoral Engineering (2004), which had developed a set of propositions about how the institutional context of the formal electoral rules could shape the strategic behavior of parties and how, in turn, these actions could have a systematic impact upon patterns of voting behavior in the mass electorate. The simple idea was that richer insights could be derived if the comparative study of electoral systems, parties, and voters could be reintegrated, rather than treating each of these as distinct subdisciplines. Electoral Engineering examined many dimensions of voting behavior and political representation, including patterns of turnout, the impact of social cleavages, and the inclusion of women in parliament, but it did not seek to apply the theory to understanding the electoral fortunes of any particular party family. Building upon the approach developed earlier, this book focuses upon the puzzling advance of the radical right, to see how far the general theory could provide valuable insights into the roots of the popular support mobilized by parties such as Haider's FPÖ, Le Pen's Front National, and Bossi's Lega Nord.
The argument developed here suggests that the rules determining ballot nomination, campaigning, and election are important, not just for the share of seats which are awarded mechanically to radical right challengers, but also for the effectiveness of the ideological strategies they adopt.
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- Radical RightVoters and Parties in the Electoral Market, pp. xi - xivPublisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005