From Opposition to Government: Party Merger as a Step on the Road to Power

• Alex Marland ^[1] ; Tom Flanagan ^[2]
  1. [1] Memorial University of Newfoundland

     Memorial University of Newfoundland

     Canadá

     
  2. [2] University of Calgary

     University of Calgary

     Canadá

     
• Localización: Parliamentary affairs: A journal of representative politics, ISSN 0031-2290, Vol. 68, Nº 2, 2015, págs. 272-290
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Little is known about the negotiations behind closed doors that culminate in the fusion of political parties. This detailed study of the creation of the Conservative Party of Canada draws on data collected through depth interviews with 32 merger participants, including party negotiators. The findings are organised around four notional stages: the war of attrition, acceptance by leaders that merger is necessary, the negotiations and the agreement's ratification and implementation. This research illustrates the complexity of the merger process including the manipulation of media to increase pressure, the authority of leadership and the nature of bargaining public and private goods.