Party loyalty and Irish voters - EEC referendum as a case study

Abstract

Voter loyalties to the established parties in the Irish political system are quite strong, but by no means unconditional. Shifts in voter support do occur over time. The most vivid instance of the Irish voter's ability to discriminate between party and policy was afforded by the Referendum of 1959, which was combined with a Presidential election. The electorate returned Mr. de Valera, while simultaneously rejecting his party's proposal to replace Proportional Representation as the constitutionally established electoral system.