ABSTRACT
The Progressive Party was formed in 1916 as the party of the Icelandic farmers. The Icelandic Progressive Party was undoubtedly one of the most successful farmers' parties in any stable democracy over the course of the twentieth century. The emergence of the Left-Greens, trawling the same electoral waters, may have drawn voters away from the Progressives. The Progressive Party has gained a considerably stronger and more stable following outside its agrarian basis than its sister parties in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The Finnish party retains a share of the overall vote that is comparable to the Progressive Party. While the Progressive Party has its strongholds in the rural and peripheral areas, it would not remain a major party in Icelandic politics without the town votes. The major tactical problem for the Progressives has been that the most effective office-seeking strategy, namely maintaining an effective centre position, has not always been very effective at the polls.
