Chapter 9 Essay questions

1) Why do the main assumptions of the Downsian party competition model not hold in Europe today?

2) Outline the different strategies available to mainstream parties to respond to challenger parties. Provide examples.

3) Discuss the differences between the spatial and valence models of party competition? How do they view voters’ electoral decision-making?

4) Parties can act as “issue entrepreneurs”. Describe how a party can use such a strategy to be successful and give an example.

5) What are the two major indicators used to classify party systems? Describe their importance and briefly outline how they are measured.