1st Edition

From Farmyard to City Square? The Electoral Adaptation of the Nordic Agrarian Parties

Edited By David Arter Copyright 2001
    200 Pages
    by Routledge

    200 Pages
    by Routledge

    How successful have the Nordic Agrarian-Centre Parties been in transforming themselves from class parties to catchall parties drawing significant support from voters engaged in the non-primary sectors of the economy? Using case studies from five comparable countries, David Arter provides an insightful account of an historic group of parties who still wield distinctive strength in the Nordic region. This detailed profile, the first ever in English, makes a unique contribution to the topical issues of party adaptation and institutional modernization.

    Contents: The Swedish centre party: the poor relation of the family, Anders Widfeldt; The Norwegian Agrarian-centre party: class, rural or catchall party?, Dag Arne Christensen; The Finnish centre party: a case of successful transformation?, David Arter; The Danish venstre: liberal, Agrarian or centrist?, Jorgen Goul Andersen and Jan Bendix Jensen; The Icelandic progressive party: trawling for the town vote?, Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson; Conclusion, David Arter.

    Biography

    David Arter

    '...a useful empirical resource for those working on comparative party politics at all levels as well as a welcome addition to the literature on party strategies and party change.' West European Politics