This volume aims at presenting updated versions of the initial articles that were published in the NID’s occasional paper series, Analyses & Views, during the course of 2004. Martin Boer’s updated article outlines the ideological histories of all political parties registered with the ECN and then compares and contrasts their most recent election manifestos and other party policy documents. Based on in-depth interviews with political party representatives, Justine Hunter’s subsequent chapter examines issues that are generally omitted by the written party manifestoes