Strategic Campaign Behaviour for Electors and Parties: The Northern Ireland Assembly Election of 1973

The article attempts to show how the application of a “rational choice” model of electoral decision making to the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly Election campaign points to some need for a reorientation of this approach, although there is no basic reason why the model cannot be made to work in a seemingly “irrational” situation. Aspects of strategic behaviour other than simple ideological manoeuvring are discussed and related to the campaign itself. These include strategic use of information and resources. Finally the actual vote transfers are used to test the proposition that some degree of rationality did exist in voter choice at the election.