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The changing meaning of left and right: supply- and demand-side effects on the perception of party positions
[journal article]
Abstract Political conflict is often described in terms of "left" and "right" even though societal conflicts stem from various sub-dimensions such as economic and cultural issues. We argue that individuals map parties’ left-right positions based on party positions on such underlying dimensions, though their im... view more
Political conflict is often described in terms of "left" and "right" even though societal conflicts stem from various sub-dimensions such as economic and cultural issues. We argue that individuals map parties’ left-right positions based on party positions on such underlying dimensions, though their impact depends on their importance for parties and citizens. To test this, we study the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) whose programmatic appeal has changed fundamentally in the last years, as have citizens’ issue concerns. Using longitudinal data from the German Longitudinal Election Study (GLES), we find that citizens' perceptions of the AfD's left-right position are more closely related to the party's position on specific issues (1) when these issues are prominent in the party's communication and (2) for citizens that care more about these issues. Moreover, how voters perceive left and right in comparison to parties' issue emphasis also affects vote choice. Our findings have important implications for the meaning of left and right, electoral behaviour, representation, and party competition.... view less
Keywords
political conflict; political left; political right; political direction; party politics; voting behavior; representation; party; voter; party system; content analysis; regression analysis; case study; longitudinal study; Federal Republic of Germany
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
German Longitudinal Election Study (GLES)
Document language
English
Publication Year
2019
Page/Pages
p. 1-20
Journal
Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties (2019)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/17457289.2019.1609001
ISSN
1745-7297
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed