ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the reasons that drive political parties entry decisions when non-viable. Relying on in-depth interviews with party elites in Canada and Spain, the chapter analyses several case studies where parties either took a Duvergerian or non-Duvergerian strategy, when facing a context of non-viability. It uses the interviews given by party leaders and campaign managers to address the reasons that lead parties to enter into competition when non-viable entail. Political parties with asymmetric viability that decide to run for elections when nonviable are challenging the Duvergerian theories. The chapter presents six empirical cases where the Duvergerian gravity has been called into question; three of them in Canada and another three in Spain. It tests the hypotheses to explain parties' organisational incentives to enter into competition alone rather than joining a coalition or withdrawing from competition.
