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Abstract. The study of new political parties causes important problems both on the theoretical and empirical level. First, only little empirical evidence is available for recently formed parties, and secondly, the study of the emergence of new political parties has attracted little attention from political scientists. This fact apparently stems from the essentially static characteristics of major political theories, such as the study of party systems and electoral behaviour. Hence in contradiction to predominant political theory, the present article proposes a dynamic model in order to study the emergence of the Swiss Ecological Party.

An investigation of the emergence of the new Swiss Ecological Party (SEP), focusing on electoral mobilization & its development in relation to the SEP as a dynamic model of a new political party. According to the dynamic model, electoral behavior is envisaged in terms of relevant works & is inspired by a rational approach. Also examined is the importance of the behavior of nonvoters in the emergence of the SEP. Other conclusions are drawn with regard to voters' movements & future projections. It is acknowledged that this study is limited in scope; future developments in the SEP should provide a better framework for a more complete analysis of the dynamics of new political parties. 9 Tables, 1 Appendix, 79 References. J. W. Stanton

Abstract. This article1 highlights the main shortcomings of the current dominant theories of green politics and green parties. Using Switzerland as a critical case, it explores a different approach as green politics, seen as a result of different attitudes about ways and means to solve environmental problems. The article concludes with some theoretical ideas that would lend themselves to a more comprehensive theory of green politics.

Der überwiegende Teil von Untersuchungen über grüne Politik in Westeuropa thematisiert das Zustandekommen von grünen Parteien, die hauptschächlich dem links-liberalen Spektrum zugerechnet werden. Nach einer kritischen Analyse der Literaturlage über grüne Politik beschreiben die Autoren am Beispiel der Schweiz, daß Umweltthemen inzwischen von verschiedenen Parteien aufgegriffen worden sind, die unterschiedliche Lösungsvorstellungen zu Umweltproblemen anbieten und damit unterschiedliche Wählergruppen ansprechen. Das Parteienspektrum zu Umweltthemen sowie die Einstellungen und Präferenzen von Wählern in der Schweiz werden untersucht. (AuD-Pls)