ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the preparation of Irish party manifestos for the 1997 general election and the role played by the manifestos in the election. It provides a general discussion of the policies and statements contained in the 1997 manifestos. Drawing on the results of the content analysis, the chapter compares the parties in terms of the different policy areas they emphasised in their 1997 platforms. Party positions on a broad ideological dimension are then generated in order to discover which of the parties, on the basis of manifesto content, were more right wing in 1997 and which were more left wing. Parties concur that the real importance of the manifesto is after the election, when it serves as the raw material for negotiating a programme for government among coalition partners. In relation to the policy concerns in the manifestos, broad agreement exists among the parties on general approaches to issues such as crime, education, and health.
