Abstract
This study explores agenda-setting dynamics between mainstream and niche parties on two issues owned by niche parties: immigration and European integration. It proposes an analytical distinction between opposition and government parties to understand which mainstream parties will engage in dialogue on these issues. Building on prospect theory, mainstream opposition parties (MOPs) are expected to be risk-acceptant and inclined to follow the agenda of niche competitors. Conversely, mainstream government parties (MGPs) are risk-averse, will systematically ignore shifts in the agenda of niche parties and only increase their attention in response to MOPs. Time-series analyses between 1974 and 2003 on the case of Denmark confirm the hypotheses.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 93-122 |
| Number of pages | 30 |
| Journal | West European Politics |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Jan 2015 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
This work was supported by the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research (NWO) under Grant No. [NWO 432–08-130]. The data in the Danish Policy Agenda Project have been collected by Christoffer Green-Peder-sen and Peter Bjerre Mortensen with support from the Danish Social Science Research Council and the Research Foundation at Aarhus University. For further details see http://www.agendaset ting.dk.