Parties can wield elections as outbidding instruments against peace processes

Evidence

A fourth means of outbidding, and one often linked to alliance-building, is the exploitation of electoral contests. Elections, though not necessarily linked to the peace process, can provide a public opportunity to signal a formal opinion on a peace process. This might especially be the case if a peace process is largely conducted at the elite level. Electoral contests may compel governing parties to justify publicly their handling of the peace process. Outbidders may attempt to portray an election as a ‘referendum’ on the peace process or accord. By mobilising in-group opposition to the peace process, outbidders may hope to punish parties hitherto supportive of peace initiatives and rein in future adventurism. Although the DUP opposed the peace process and Belfast Agreement, they vigorously contested all elections, even those specifically connected with the peace process. As Protestant-unionist discontent with the Agreement grew, they overhauled the UUP’s position as unionism’s largest political party (see Table 1). Electoral contests that ostensibly had little relevance to the peace process were recast by the DUP in terms of the peace process. — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 55

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines ‘outbidding via electoral exploitation,’ a distinct mechanism within the threat-privilege/outbidding typology where elections become referenda on peace.
• XREF: connects to: Multi-party democratization can proceed peacefully when ruling elites accept defeat and step aside — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 66; Peace negotiations succeed when secondary and tertiary parties from both sides participate — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 808; Outbidding and party modernization mutually reinforce each other rather than conflict — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 95 (+2 more)

Related

• Hardline ethnic parties can modernize and thrive in peace processes. (similarity 0.84)
• Ethnic outbidding can be modulated and coexist with party modernization (similarity 0.82)
• Sectarian outbidding parties can still adopt modern party organization (similarity 0.81)
• Outbidding and party modernization mutually reinforce each other rather than conflict (similarity 0.80)
• The DUP shifted from unionist vote-sharing pacts to outbidding rival unionist parties. (similarity 0.79)
• Outbidding is context dependent and can phase-shift toward moderation after in-group victory (similarity 0.79)
• Ethnic outbidding is intra-bloc competition that blocks inter-group compromise. (similarity 0.79)
• Ethnic outbidding intensity fluctuates over a peace process’s timeline, not continuously (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Outbidding and party modernization mutually reinforce each other rather than conflict #expands (0.82) — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 95
• Multi-party democratization can proceed peacefully when ruling elites accept defeat and step aside #qualifies (0.75) — Johan Brosché and Hanne Fjelde and Kristine Höglund, Electoral violence and the legacy of…, 66
• Peace negotiations succeed when secondary and tertiary parties from both sides participate #qualifies (0.72) — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 808