Social structure and voting in the Austrian party system

A stable and effective party system depends on consistent and enduring support from social groups. Using the Lipset-Rokkan paradigm as a point of departure, this article tests the relationship between social structure and party support in four East Asian democracies (Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan) and two Western democracies (Australia and New Zealand) using the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. Using Australia and New Zealand as a reference point, the results show that the four Lipset-Rokkan social cleavages are only loosely related to party support in the four East Asian nations, mainly through center-periphery and urban-rural divisions. The absence of an owner-worker cleavage is explained by the suppression of labor-based parties in these countries. More generally, the results suggest the importance of the socializing experiences associated with the democratic transitions in each of the four newer democracies.

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Globalization, Cleavages, and the Radical Right

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190274559.013.11 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Simon Bornschier

Keyword(s):

Social Structure ◽

Party System ◽

Large Scale ◽

Social Groups ◽

System Change ◽

Party Competition ◽

Radical Right ◽

Right Wing ◽

Scale Transformations ◽

Relative Salience

This chapter underscores the merit of studying the emergence and growth of the radical right from a cleavage perspective, which sees party system change as rooted in large-scale transformations of social structure. The chapter begins by discussing explanations for the rise of the radical right in terms of the educational revolution, the processes of economic and cultural modernization, and globalization, showing where these perspectives converge and where they differ. It then goes on to show how the structuralist perspective has been combined with a focus on agency. Under conditions of multidimensional party competition, the behavior of mainstream parties is crucial, because it determines the relative salience of competitive dimensions and whether they offer space for radical right-wing challengers. Some of the most exciting recent research studies how the processes of dealignment and realignment structure the propensity of specific social groups such as the manual working class to support the radical right.

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The Rise of Caste Politics: Party System Change and Voter Realignment, 1962–2004

Diversity and Change in Modern India ◽

10.5871/bacad/9780197264515.003.0008 ◽

2010 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

OLIVER HEATH ◽

YOGENDRA YADAV

Keyword(s):

Social Structure ◽

Party System ◽

System Change ◽

Political Conflict ◽

Party Competition ◽

The Past ◽

The Social ◽

Social Cleavage ◽

The Relationship ◽

Cleavage Structure

This chapter explores the relationship formed between the social structure of India and its contemporary patterns. It tries to show how this relates to the theories of social cleavage alignment, and examines change in the cleavage structure of party competition. The chapter also discusses how different contemporary patterns of political conflict in India are from those of the past.

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Party System, Social Structure, and Competitive Politics in West Germany: An Ecological Analysis of the 1972 Federal Election

Comparative Politics ◽

10.2307/421415 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 61 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

David P. Conradt ◽

Dwight Lambert

Keyword(s):

Social Structure ◽

Party System ◽

West Germany ◽

Ecological Analysis ◽

Federal Election

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The Shrinking Elephants: The 2009 Election and the Changing Party System

German Politics & Society ◽

10.3167/gps.2010.280302 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 25-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

David P. Conradt

Keyword(s):

Social Structure ◽

Political System ◽

Party System ◽

Party Systems ◽

Supply Side ◽

The Future

While the 2009 election resulted in a familiar governing coalition, the dealignment of the party systems continued. Support for the once-major parties dropped to historic lows as did turnout. This article delves into the factors underlying this dealignment process. In addition to familiar demandside variables—social structure, values, and interests—particular attention is given to the supply side of the dealignment equation: the role of the parties, their leaders, strategies, and policies. The consequences of these changes for the future of the party and political system are then discussed in a comparative context.

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Political Equality as the Foundation of Democracy

10.1093/oso/9780198733607.003.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Russell J. Dalton

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Structure ◽

Party System ◽

Social Groups ◽

The United States ◽

Democratic Participation ◽

Political Equality ◽

The Social ◽

Institutional Structures

This chapter introduces the theoretical arguments for equality in democratic participation. Long-term evidence for the United States shows that participation levels are increasing overall. At the same time, the participation gap in who is active is also widening. It also reviews the civic voluntarism model that describes the factors that affect the inequality of participation within and between nations. Differences in social status are a key determinant of participation, social groups can mobilize individuals to participate, and citizen values affect participation levels. Aspects of the social structure, party system, and institutional structures may also influence the size of the participation gap.

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