Horowitz’s Theory of Ethnic Party Competition and the Case of the SDLP, 1970-79

Peter McLoughlin

doi:10.1080/13537110802473324

Horowitz’s Theory of Ethnic Party Competition and the Case of the SDLP, 1970-79

Peter McLoughlin

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5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Donald Horowitz's theory of ethnic conflict suggests that a political party operating in a deeply divided society can be effected by a centrifugal pull even when it is not subject to formal electoral competition. This idea can be applied to Northern Ireland's SDLP in the 1970s, when the party faced no credible electoral rival within its primary political constituency. Doing so helps to explain why the SDLP failed in its original objective of mobilizing a cross-community constituency, and instead became what Horowitz terms an “ethnically based party,” representing the interests of only one side of the political divide in Northern Ireland.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	549-578
Number of pages	30
Journal	Nationalism and Ethnic Politics
Volume	14
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/13537110802473324
Publication status	Published - Oct 2008

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Horowitz’s Theory of Ethnic Party Competition and the Case of the SDLP, 1970-79

Abstract

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