Under what conditions do social movements transform into political parties? One fundamental argument that drives theories of party formation is that parties form when a political issue is not articulated by an existing party. Using the case of the New Power Party and the Social Democratic Party, I argue that this supposed necessary condition is incomplete. Sunflower activists’ and movement-parties’ decision to not support the DPP was more complex than a simple difference in ideology. This chapter of my dissertation will explore the role of the DPP and the effect it had on mobilizing Sunflower Movement activists to form and support the New Power Party and Social Democratic Party. I argue that along with differences in ideology, NPP and SDP founders and supporters were dissatisfied with their perceived quality of the DPP in 2014. Moderation, both in terms of ideology and quality, is a necessary condition for movement party formation.

Lev Nachman is a PhD candidate in political science at the University of California, Irvine. He is a former Fulbright fellow and currently a visiting scholar in sociology at National Taiwan University.