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Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Preface
- 1 The influence of election programmes: Britain and Canada 1945–1979.
- 2 The internal analysis of election programmes.
- 3 Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States 1946–1981, an initial comparative analysis.
- 4 Canada 1945–1980: party platforms and campaign strategies.
- 5 Sri Lanka 1947–1977: elite programmes and mass politics.
- 6 Israel 1949–1981.
- 7 Ireland 1948–1981: issues, parties, strategies.
- 8 Northern Ireland 1921–1973: party manifestos and platforms.
- 9 Sweden and Denmark 1945–1982: election programmes in the Scandinavian setting.
- 10 The Netherlands 1946–1981.
- 11 Belgium 1946–1981.
- 12 Luxembourg 1945–1982: dimensions and strategies.
- 13 Austria 1945–1978.
- 14 Electoral programmes in West Germany 1949–1980: explorations in the nature of political controversy.
- 15 France 1958–1981: the strategy of joint government platforms.
- 16 Italy 1946–1979: ideological distances and party movements.
- 17 Japan 1960–1980: party programmes in elections.
- 18 Do parties differ, and how? Comparative discriminant and factor analyses.
- Appendices
- General bibliography
- Index
15 - France 1958–1981: the strategy of joint government platforms.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Preface
- 1 The influence of election programmes: Britain and Canada 1945–1979.
- 2 The internal analysis of election programmes.
- 3 Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States 1946–1981, an initial comparative analysis.
- 4 Canada 1945–1980: party platforms and campaign strategies.
- 5 Sri Lanka 1947–1977: elite programmes and mass politics.
- 6 Israel 1949–1981.
- 7 Ireland 1948–1981: issues, parties, strategies.
- 8 Northern Ireland 1921–1973: party manifestos and platforms.
- 9 Sweden and Denmark 1945–1982: election programmes in the Scandinavian setting.
- 10 The Netherlands 1946–1981.
- 11 Belgium 1946–1981.
- 12 Luxembourg 1945–1982: dimensions and strategies.
- 13 Austria 1945–1978.
- 14 Electoral programmes in West Germany 1949–1980: explorations in the nature of political controversy.
- 15 France 1958–1981: the strategy of joint government platforms.
- 16 Italy 1946–1979: ideological distances and party movements.
- 17 Japan 1960–1980: party programmes in elections.
- 18 Do parties differ, and how? Comparative discriminant and factor analyses.
- Appendices
- General bibliography
- Index
Summary
THE CHANGING PARTY SYSTEM
The French party system under the Fourth Republic was highly fragmented and polarized. The superimposition of several, largely independent, cleavages, produced a number of spiritual families (Communist, Socialist, Centrist, Right) each represented by a distinct group in Parliament. Since none had enough seats to govern alone, parties could hope only to participate in government coalitions. Typically, coalition formation was initiated after the election, when Parliament convened to select a new Prime Minister who would form a cabinet and present a government programme. Since most participants kept their chances of joining the winning coalition open until the last minute, there was little incentive for them to have an agreed programme or indeed any programme at elections. The organization of ‘parties of notables’ was virtually non-existent and candidates would come forward in elections either on their own initiative or under the sponsorship of local electoral committees.
Under the Fifth Republic, a new pattern of government formation developed. Parties have been forced inexorably into one of two great coalitions. This process of bipolarization was initiated by the emergence of a coherent, lasting coalition of the Right, created to sustain the government's policy in Parliament. This was soon followed by a similar coalition of the Left. Formal government programs are now issued at election time with the support of coalitions of parties that can reasonably expect to have a majority in the National Assembly.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Ideology, Strategy and Party ChangeSpatial Analyses of Post-War Election Programmes in 19 Democracies, pp. 324 - 344Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1987
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