Bale, Tim and Dann, Christine (2002) Is the Grass Really Greener? The Rationale and Reality of Support Party Status: A New Zealand Case Study. Party Politics, 8 (3). pp. 349-365. ISSN 1354-0688

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

The motives, behaviour, treatment and fate of parties which, rather than joining governments provide them with a working legislative majority, are not well studied. In the light of coalition theory, we explore these issues by way of observation research on New Zealand's Green Party - since 1999 a support party to a minority centre-left government. We isolate three factors important in coming to this type of arrangement - ideology, calculation and the institutional environment - all mediated by party system variation. The relative importance of each factor, however, is less significant than the links and trade-offs between and within them. We go on to show how non-institutionalized support arrangements are unlikely to be `win-win' situations, leading to frustrations which themselves may become a factor in the decision to support or join after the next election.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Law, Politics and Sociology > Politics
Subjects:	J Political Science > JQ Political institutions and public administration (Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific Area, etc.) > JQ3995 Australia. New Zealand. Pacific Ocean islands
Depositing User:	Tim Bale
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2012 19:29
Last Modified:	11 May 2012 09:21
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/20848

📧 Request an update