Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The <i>Third Tradition(s)</i> project examined the role of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, posing the following main research questions: To what extent does Alliance offer a distinctive third political tradition, separate from unionism and nationalism? What is the religious balance of the party and what effect does a religious imbalance have upon party policy and the self-ascribed identity of members? What reservations do party members have in respect of the Good Friday Agreement and which aspects particularly enthuse party members? Would Alliance party members be prepared to support the tactical redesignation of the party as unionist to support the Good Friday Agreement? What role as a centre pillar do party members envisage Alliance performing in a post-Good Friday Agreement dispensation? An earlier study by the same Principal Investigator, which surveyed the Social and Liberal Democratic Party (SDLP) of Northern Ireland, is held at UKDA under SN:4113.

Main Topics:

The dataset comprises the responses of Alliance Party members to a wide-ranging questionnaire. The first section of the dataset covers: mode of membership application, year of joining, area of residence, various demographic details, national identity and religion. Subsequent sections cover perceptions of the Alliance Party and its vision, constitutional questions, attitudes to the Good Friday Agreement and devolution, alternatives to the Good Friday Agreement and views on aspects of its micro-agenda, attitudes to social and economic issues and views on relationships with other political parties. Standard Measures Left-Right scale Likert attitudinal scales

No sampling (total universe)

Postal survey