Disentangling peripheral parties’ issue packages in subnational elections

Abstract

Our main objective in this article is to disentangle the diverse components of peripheral parties’ ‘issue packages’ and to show the different ways in which a peripheral party can present its nationalist credentials according to the strategic needs imposed by each particular context. Against one stream of literature that sees peripheral parties as single-issue or niche parties, we use manifesto data to demonstrate that peripheral parties do not limit their issue appeal to just one dimension of competition. On the contrary, as strategic and vote-maximising parties, they have a highly diversified issue portfolio. We also argue that the centre-periphery dimension has a complex issue structure that allows peripheral parties to offer attractive moderate images without renouncing their nationalist identity. For our analysis, we use the Regional Manifestos Project data on peripheral parties’ manifestos in Spain and the United Kingdom (Convergence and Union, Catalonian Republican Left, Basque Nationalist Party, EH-Bildu, Galician Nationalist Block, Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru) in their respective last regional elections (2011–2012).