Into the void: the collapse of Irish party democracy

For most of the twentieth century the Irish party system was stable and unchanging, centred on Fianna Fáil, Europe's most electorally successful political party. That system suddenly collapsed in 2011 when Irish electoral politics became unusually volatile, ending decades of one-party dominance...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Irish political studies 2022-04, Vol.37 (2), p.303-325
Main Author: Kenneth Carty, R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
20th century
Democracy
Elections
Fianna Fáil
Ireland
Party system
Peter Mair
Political parties
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Summary:For most of the twentieth century the Irish party system was stable and unchanging, centred on Fianna Fáil, Europe's most electorally successful political party. That system suddenly collapsed in 2011 when Irish electoral politics became unusually volatile, ending decades of one-party dominance and leaving democratic elections unable to provide for government choice and accountability. This paper traces this transformation of the party system, unmasking the altered dynamics of the country's electoral competition, through a focus on its long-dominant natural party of government. It concludes by considering the challenges and prospects for Ireland's party democracy.
ISSN:0790-7184
1743-9078
DOI:10.1080/07907184.2022.2043082