partiessometimes

Partiessometimes is a neologism used in political science to describe a pattern in which individuals or groups exhibit intermittent partisanship—supporting a political party or its positions only under certain conditions or at particular times, rather than consistently. The term signals that allegiance to a party can be activated by specific issues, leaders, or contexts and deactivated in others.

The word blends "parties" and "sometimes" and is typically written as a single entity. It emerged in scholarly discussions in the late 2010s and 2020s to capture contingent or fluctuating partisanship that does not fit traditional models of stable party identity.

Usage and scope: Partiessometimes is applied to voters, party members, and legislators who align with a party for core issues but cross lines on others, or who switch allegiances depending on the political environment. Researchers use the concept to explain electoral volatility, coalition dynamics, and selective alignment in pluralist systems.

Measurement and examples: Analyses rely on longitudinal surveys, roll-call voting patterns, endorsements, or experimental studies to identify when partisanship is activated or suppressed. For instance, voters may behave as partiessometimes on fiscal policy while remaining loyal on social issues.

Critiques: As a descriptive label rather than a formal theory, partiessometimes risks definitional vagueness or overlap with related ideas such as swing voting, issue voting, or strategic voting.

See also: Partisanship, swing voter, issue voting, coalition politics, voter behavior.