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Reconceptualizing Dimensions of Political Competition In Europe: A Demand-side Approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2019

Jonathan Wheatley  and
Fernando Mendez
Jonathan Wheatley*
Affiliation:
Oxford Brookes University
Fernando Mendez
Affiliation:
University of Zurich
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: jwheatley@brookes.ac.uk
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Abstract

Scholars seeking to understand political competition in Europe have proposed various models of political dimensionality. While most scholars draw on data from the supply side of politics (political parties), demand-side (voter) studies remain few. In this article we compare the two approaches. The main difference is that while supply-side approaches suggest a single model of dimensionality that can be applied to all EU countries, demand-side approaches suggest a greater degree of divergence. In particular, the bundle of issues commonly identified by supply-side studies as TAN/GAL not only fail to form a coherent dimension when viewed from a demand-side perspective, but incorporate issues of EU integration in some (northern European) cases, but not in others.

Keywords

Europepolitical competitionpolitical partiesvoter studiespolitical dimensionalityTAN/GAL
Type
Article
Information
British Journal of Political Science , Volume 51 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 40 - 59
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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