The DUP’s post-Agreement success drew on party professionalization
Evidence
The second party modernization strategy generally used is that of the professionalization of the party. Such professionalization has a long heritage (Mancini, 1999). The ‘professionalelectoral party’ (Panebianco, 1988, p. 264) relies heavily on media and public relations experts, pollsters, political advisers, and image consultants. Arguably, the sole function of the professional-electoral party is to win elections and is a marked departure from the ‘mass party’ (Duverger, 1954), with its emphasis on ideology as opposed to issues. The evidence of growing ‘professionalization’ within the DUP is not difficult to locate (Fawcett, 2002). O Dochartaigh (2005) notes how the DUP ‘has adopted the new technologies with particular enthusiasm’ and ‘makes innovative use of technology to support a very traditional type of local politics’ with the result that the DUP were ‘winning the cyberspace battle by a landslide’ (Scholes, 2003). Moreover, the Electoral Commission for Northern Ireland reported that the party spent more money than any other political party in Northern Ireland on their TV broadcasts for the 2005 general election (Electoral Commission, 2006). — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 84
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to reading on democratic (non-ethnic) paths to electoral dominance — the DUP combined ethnic outbidding with catch-all professionalization, a blend an authoritarian-regime comparison (Kenya/Zambia) would likely not show. — connects to: The DUP disciplined internal message unity for effective outbidding campaigns. — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 94; The DUP’s post-Agreement gains came from mobilizing apathetic unionists, not attracting new voters. — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 93
- SEED: Angle: ‘vote-maximizing radicals’ — how an ethnic-hardline party outspent rivals on broadcast and cyberspace while staying ideologically traditional; tension between modernization theory and outbidding.
Related
- The DUP disciplined internal message unity for effective outbidding campaigns. (similarity 0.81)
- The DUP’s post-Agreement gains came from mobilizing apathetic unionists, not attracting new voters. (similarity 0.81)
- Sectarian outbidding parties can still adopt modern party organization (similarity 0.80)
Broader Connections
- The DUP disciplined internal message unity for effective outbidding campaigns.
#expands(0.85) — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 94 - The DUP’s post-Agreement gains came from mobilizing apathetic unionists, not attracting new voters.
#qualifies(0.75) — Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Roger Macginty, Ethnic Outbidding and Party…, 93