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This book studies how established political parties react to the far left and far right parties that have surged in many democracies worldwide. While some of the extremist parties are being imitated in response, established parties can also choose to systematically rule out all political cooperation with them, imposing a cordon sanitaire. A third response by established parties combines these two reactions. How common are these three responses, and how do they affect far left and far right parties' electoral support? This book addresses these questions by analyzing experimental and non-experimental data from fifteen European countries since 1944. In doing so, it informs scientific and public debates about challenges to established parties, how these parties deal with these challenges, and what the consequences are for the quality of democracy in contemporary democratic societies.
List of contents
Chapter One Introduction.- Chapter Two Parrot Parties: Established Parties' Co-Optation of Other Parties' Policy Proposals.- Chapter Three Pariah Parties: Established Parties' Systematic Boycotting of Other Parties.- Chapter Four The 'Parroting the Pariah' Effect: Theoretical Framework.- Chapter Five The 'Parroting the Pariah' Effect: Aggregate-Level Evidence.- Chapter Six The 'Parroting the Pariah Effect': Individual-Level Evidence.- Chapter Seven Conclusion.
About the author
Joost van Spanje is Associate Professor of Political Communication at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He previously conducted research at the University of Oxford, the EUI in Florence, and New York University. In recent years Joost has won a variety of awards and several personal research grants.
Summary
This book studies how established political parties react to the far left and far right parties that have surged in many democracies worldwide. While some of the extremist parties are being imitated in response, established parties can also choose to systematically rule out all political cooperation with them, imposing a cordon sanitaire. A third response by established parties combines these two reactions. How common are these three responses, and how do they affect far left and far right parties’ electoral support? This book addresses these questions by analyzing experimental and non-experimental data from fifteen European countries since 1944. In doing so, it informs scientific and public debates about challenges to established parties, how these parties deal with these challenges, and what the consequences are for the quality of democracy in contemporary democratic societies.
