Diverse yet Durable? Interethnic Coalitions and Government Stability

• In Event: Populism, Nationalism and Backsliding: How Oppositions and Minorities Respond

Abstract

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Why do we see so much variation in the durability of governments in Europe’s new democracies?
This paper investigates the role of ethnic minority parties, which are important political players in the ethnically diverse countries of the region. Ethnic minority parties are unique because of their loyal voter base that continues to support them even after they serve in government. They are therefore different from other incumbent parties which are routinely punished by their voters after having served in government. Does the electoral stability of ethnic minority parties lead to greater stability of the coalitions that they join? I test this hypothesis quantitatively using a dataset of all governments since the early 1990’s in six East Central European states. This study gives us insight into both the impact of ethnic diversity on government stability and the important position played by ethnic minority parties in the party systems in which they are present. It helps us uncover why ethnically heterogeneous countries may experience greater democratic stability – and resist more effectively the illiberal turn across the region marked by the rise of populist parties and democratic backsliding across the region.

Author

• Katharine Aha, Southwestern University