Conclusion and the ‘Party Priorities Model’

Abstract

This book has considered the various ways in which parties respond to a compulsory quota, using parity in France as a case study. This final, concluding chapter brings together the arguments made throughout the book and offers a new model for understanding the implementation of compulsory quotas. We have seen that each of the theoretical models explored in Chapters 4, 5 and 6 provides a partial but incomplete explanation of party behaviour, and they are most useful when considered collectively rather than independently of each other. The most useful insights into party choices when selecting candidates can be found in the interactions between the different approaches. To advance this argument, I develop a new theoretical model that I call the ‘party priorities model’. This model incorporates the insights of the three other approaches explored in this book and demonstrates how different parties will choose different paths of decision-making dependent on their overall priorities and goals. After laying out the theory behind the model I put it to the test by considering how well it explains the behaviour of the six French parties studied here. This model then leads to a broader discussion of the role of parties in quota implementation, and the potential insights of the model for a wider range of studies.