Abstract
What are the conditions for a change in party ideology? Earlier research has pointed at changing electoral opinions, variations in the party elite and organization as well as at the party system and electoral system as such. Which of these factors are the most important for initiating party ideology change? This is the theoretical question addressed in this article. Through a qualitative ideological analysis of Gaullist party documents since 1947, this study shows that electoral failure is a necessary but not sufficient condition for ideological change. When a political party has experienced an electoral setback and also a change in the party system or in their own party organization, a change in ideology will also occur. The article also shows that the Gaullist parties, by always having a blend of conservative and liberal values, have made change possible by emphasizing one or other of these values. It has been possible to cope with apparent contradictions in the ideology since separate values have been guiding various ideological domains in the Gaullist party ideology.
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