West European politics in the age of globalization: six countries compared

Over the past three decades the effects of globalization and denationalization have created a division between 'winners' and 'losers' in Western Europe. This study examines the transformation of party political systems in six countries (Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK) using opinion surveys, as well as newly collected data on election campaigns. The authors argue that, as a result of structural transformations and the strategic repositioning of political parties, Europe has observed the emergence of a tripolar configuration of political power, comprising the left, the moderate right, and the new populist right. They suggest that, through an emphasis on cultural issues such as mass immigration and resistance to European integration, the traditional focus of political debate - the economy - has been downplayed or reinterpreted in terms of this new political cleavage. This new analysis of Western European politics will interest all students of European politics and political sociology. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Figures......Page 13 Tables......Page 15 Preface and acknowledgments......Page 19 PART I Theory and methods......Page 23 1 Globalization and its impact on national spaces of competition......Page 25 A new structural conflict between ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ of globalization......Page 26 The impact of the new structural conflict on the structure of the political space......Page 31 The positioning of the parties within the transformed space......Page 36 An overview of the volume......Page 42 2 Contexts of party mobilization......Page 45 The relative strength of the traditional cleavages and the new cleavage......Page 46 Economic context conditions......Page 50 Cultural context conditions......Page 53 The political context......Page 58 The general framework: processes of dealignment and the established structure of the party systems......Page 60 Institutional opportunity structures: the electoral system and its consequences......Page 64 The interaction context and the dynamics of adjustment: strategies of mainstream parties......Page 67 Conclusion......Page 71 3 The design of the study: the distinguishing characteristics of our approach......Page 75 Selection of countries and elections......Page 76 Two sides of party competition: data collection and analysis......Page 79 Twelve issue categories......Page 80 Analysis of the demand side......Page 82 Analysis of the supply side......Page 87 Conclusion......Page 95 PART II Country studies......Page 97 Introduction......Page 99 Traditional cleavages and dealignment in the party system......Page 101 Economic context conditions......Page 104 Immigration......Page 107 European integration......Page 108 Institutional structures......Page 109 Organizational capacity and leadership quality......Page 110 Strategies of the mainstream parties......Page 111 Analysis of the demand side: voters’ political potentials......Page 112 Analysis of the supply side: structures of competition in the party system......Page 120 Conclusion......Page 124 Introduction......Page 127 Relative strength of traditional cleavages......Page 128 Economic context conditions......Page 130 Cultural context conditions......Page 131 Institutional structures: the end of consensus democracy?......Page 134 The new right-wing populist challenge......Page 136 Analysis of the demand side: voters’ attitudes and issue-priorities......Page 138 Analysis of the supply side: the parties’ programmatic offer......Page 145 Conclusion......Page 150 Introduction......Page 152 Traditional cleavages......Page 153 Economic context conditions......Page 156 Cultural context conditions......Page 158 The political context......Page 160 Analysis of the demand side: the electoral potential for a new cleavage......Page 165 Analysis of the supply side: the articulation of the integration–demarcation cleavage......Page 170 Conclusion......Page 174 Introduction......Page 176 The relative strength of traditional cleavages......Page 177 Economic context conditions......Page 178 Cultural context conditions......Page 182 Political context conditions......Page 183 The new right-wing populist challenge......Page 185 Analysis of the demand side: the voters’ political potentials......Page 187 Analysis of the supply side: the party’s programmatic offer......Page 194 Conclusion......Page 203 Introduction......Page 205 The relative strength of traditional cleavages......Page 207 Economic context conditions......Page 209 Cultural context conditions......Page 211 Dealignment and realignment......Page 213 Difficulties for new challengers......Page 215 Transformation of major parties......Page 216 Analysis of the demand side: the voters’ political potentials......Page 219 Analysis of the supply side: the parties’ programmatic offer......Page 224 Conclusion......Page 228 Introduction......Page 230 Relative strength of traditional cleavages......Page 231 Economic context conditions......Page 233 Cultural context conditions......Page 234 Dealignment......Page 236 Institutional structure......Page 238 Organizational capacity and leadership quality of the new challengers......Page 239 Strategies of mainstream parties......Page 240 Analysis of the demand side: voters’ attitudes and issue priorities......Page 242 Analysis of the supply side: the parties’ programmatic offer......Page 248 Conclusion......Page 254 PART III Comparative analyses......Page 257 Introduction......Page 259 The structure of voters’ attitudes......Page 260 The relationship between economic and cultural issues......Page 262 Winners and losers of globalization......Page 265 The configuration of partisan groups......Page 273 The structural basis of the new divide......Page 279 Conclusion......Page 286 Introduction......Page 289 The transformation of the basic dimensions of the space......Page 291 The degree of integration of the two dimensions......Page 293 ‘Tripolarity’......Page 296 Party families......Page 300 Comparing national party configurations......Page 304 The determinants of parties’ issue-positions......Page 307 Economic issues......Page 308 European integration and immigration......Page 310 Cultural liberalism and law and order......Page 312 Conclusion......Page 316 Introduction......Page 318 The issue basis of voting choices......Page 319 Strategy of analysis......Page 322 France......Page 323 Austria......Page 327 Switzerland......Page 330 The Netherlands......Page 333 United Kingdom......Page 336 Germany......Page 338 Conclusion......Page 339 Globalizing West European politics: dimensions of comparative analysis......Page 342 The transformation of cleavage structures and political spaces......Page 344 The rise of new parties and party families in Western Europe......Page 350 The fragmentation and polarization of party systems in Western Europe......Page 357 Fragmentation......Page 358 Polarization......Page 360 Still the age of moderate pluralism?......Page 363 Conclusion......Page 365 Analysis of the supply side of electoral competition: data collection......Page 367 Analysis of the demand side: list of datasets used......Page 370 Social class......Page 371 Measuring voters’ issue-positions......Page 375 Multidimensional scaling......Page 381 Measuring the degree of integration of two axes in an MDS configuration......Page 384 Weighted Euclidian distance between parties in a multidimensional issue space......Page 386 Appendix B: Detailed statistical results......Page 388 References......Page 410 Index......Page 446 Over The Past Three Decades The Effects Of Globalisation And Denationalisation Have Created A Division Between 'winners' And 'losers' In Western Europe. This Study Examines The Transformation Of Party Political Systems In Six Countries (austria, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, And The Uk) Using Opinion Surveys. Theory And Methods. Globalization And Its Impact On National Spaces Of Competition ; Context Structures ; The Design Of The Study: The Distinguishing Characteristics Of Our Approach -- Country Studies. France, The Model Case Of Party System Transformation ; Austria, Transformation Driven By An Established Party ; Switzerland, Another Case Of Transformation Driven By An Established Party ; The Netherlands, A Challenge That Was Slow In Coming ; The United Kingdom, Moving Parties In A Stable Configuration ; Germany, The Dog That Didn't Bark -- Comparative Analyses. Demand-side: Dealignment And Realignment Of The Structural Political Potentials ; Supply-side: The Positioning Of The Political Parties In A Restructuring Space ; The Electoral Consequences Of The Integration Vs. Demarcation Cleavage ; Globalizing Politics: The Change Of Cleavage Structures, Parties And Party Systems In Comparative Perspective -- Appendix A. Technical Appendix -- Appendix B. Detailed Statistical Results. Hanspeter Kriesi ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 388-423) And Index.