The rise of challenger parties of all ideological stripes has profoundly altered the face of European party systems. According to Sara Hobolt (LSE) and Catherine de Vries (Bocconi) these challengers act very much like disruptive entrepreneurs. Building on economic theories of industrial organization, Sara and Catherine argue in their new book 'Political Entrepreneurs: The Rise of Challenger Parties in Europe' that political competition is much like a marketplace where firms compete for market shares. We talk about the political equivalents of patents and brand loyalties and about the strategies of dominant parties to remain in power as challengers seek to disrupt the status quo.
For more information, see www.stukroodvlees.nl/srv-podcast-episode-55-political-entrepreneurs-and-electoral-change-with-sara-hobolt-and-catherine-de-vries
Music: Dexter Britain (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0), www.dexterbritain.com
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