Far right activism and electoral outcomes

Abstract

This article uses an original data set of 3262 party activities to examine how the local activism of a Greek far right party, the Golden Dawn, affected its electoral performance. Whereas most studies of activism focus on its intensity, this article examines how a neglected dimension, the consistency of activism, affects electoral outcomes. It also distinguishes between those activities local parties undertake indoors to communicate with activists and those organized outdoors to communicate with voters. Instead of gauging the efficacy of activism shortly prior to elections, the study measures the effects of activism from one election to the next. The article demonstrates that consistent outdoor activism is electorally competitive. The findings have implications for the study of local activism, especially that of really extreme parties, like the Golden Dawn.