ABSTRACT
As we saw in the previous chapter Northern Ireland has its own distinctive party system. It is dominated by the competition between varieties of Ulster Unionism and varieties of Irish Nationalism. The major sociological factor in electoral mobilization remains not social class but religious background. Support for Unionist parties is overwhelmingly Protestant and support for Nationalist parties is overwhelmingly Catholic. Nevertheless, while the argument between Unionism and Nationalism dominates political life, the divisions within Unionism and within Nationalism have often been as deep and sometimes as bitter. A number of parties over the years have tried to canvass on a non-communal basis but they have met with only limited success.
