Why do voters support niche parties?

Abstract

Niche parties have gained substantial political ground in many liberal democracies. While party behaviour scholars have examined which strategies these parties can use to increase their electoral success, less is known about the individual-level determinants of support for niche parties. In this study, I investigate why voters support niche parties. Building on previous research, I hypothesise that niche voting can be driven both by ideological considerations and by voter discontent. Analyses on 61 elections in 28 countries show that voters support niche parties mostly because of policy considerations – such as their ideological position and core issues – and less because of dissatisfaction with mainstream parties. These results show that a niche vote is in the first place a policy-driven vote and not a sign of protest with mainstream politics, and this finding holds important implications for our understanding of electoral results.