We don't like (to) party. A typology of independents in Irish political life, 1922-2007

Liam Weeks*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    42 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This article examines the phenomenon of Independents, or non-party candidates, in Irish political life. It has two main aims: the first is to disaggregate Independents from 'others' to provide a definitive dataset of their electoral performance, and to enable more reliable and valid analysis about this actor. The second, and primary, aim is to use this disaggregation to construct a typology of Independents. The background of every Independent candidate contesting a general election between 1922 and 2007 is examined, from which they are grouped into a number of Independent families and sub-categories. A detailed profile is provided of each of these categories, describing their key characteristics and respective electoral performances. It is shown that Independents form a residual heterogeneous category, about whom a better understanding can be achieved if their diversity is appreciated.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1-27
    Number of pages27
    JournalIrish Political Studies
    Volume24
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Feb 2009

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'We don't like (to) party. A typology of independents in Irish political life, 1922-2007'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this