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Horowitz's theory of ethnic party competition and the case of the Northern Ireland Social Democratic and Labour Party, 1970-1979
Author(s)
Date Issued
2008-10
Date Available
2010-08-19T11:52:06Z
Abstract
This article uses Donald Horowitz’s theory of ethnic party competition in order to understand the development of the Northern Ireland Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) during the first decade of its existence. The main contention of the article is that Horowitz’s thesis, although based primarily on observation of party competition in divided societies in Africa and Asia, is remarkably applicable to the SDLP in terms of the party’s evolution against the backdrop of the Northern Ireland conflict in the 1970s. Horowitz’s theory helps explain why the SDLP failed in its original objective of mobilizing a cross-community constituency behind a radical, reformist agenda, and instead became what Horowitz terms an “ethnically based party”, representing the interests of only one side of the political divide in Northern Ireland.
Sponsorship
Not applicable
Other Sponsorship
Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Type of Material
Journal Article
Publisher
Routledge
Journal
Nationalism and Ethnic Politics
Volume
14
Issue
4
Start Page
549
End Page
579
Copyright (Published Version)
2008 Taylor & Francis Group
Subject – LCSH
Ethnic conflict--Northern Ireland
Political parties--Northern Ireland
Social Democratic and Labour Party (Northern Ireland)
Web versions
Language
English
Status of Item
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1557-2986 (electronic)
1353-7113 (paper)
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
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