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Free keywords:
Nicheness; programmatic concentration; new political parties; manifestos; statistical uncertainty
Abstract:
Previous studies on the electoral performance of niche parties have not fully taken
into account the evolutionary aspect of the programmatic profiles of these parties,
although the majority of these parties were analysed from when they first came
into existence, as new parties. Acknowledging the variation in programmatic
profiles between niche parties and over time, the article argues that the electoral
effects of nicheness and programmatic concentration as programmatic features
of niche parties vary over their lifecycle. When entering the electoral arena, niche
parties benefit from high levels of nicheness and programmatic concentration.
However, these positive effects decrease as parties grow older and face different
challenges to those of their early days. The empirical analysis of green and extreme
right parties in this article supports the corresponding hypotheses. Results show
that the positive effects of nicheness and programmatic concentration vanish over
time and indicate niche parties’ own influence on their electoral destiny.
