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Party Identification and the Social Bases of Voting Behaviour in the 2002 Bundestag Election.

Saalfeld, Thomas (2004) Party Identification and the Social Bases of Voting Behaviour in the 2002 Bundestag Election. German Politics, 13 (2). pp. 170-200. ISSN 0964-4008. (doi:10.1080/0964400042000233904) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:3705)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1080/0964400042000233904

Abstract

In this paper it will be shown that socio-economic variables such as class and religious denomination still play and important – if reduced – role in explaining voting behaviour in Germany. Party identification still contributes to a stabilisation of the parties’ vote, but has continued to decline in Western Germany and has continued to be relatively low in Eastern Germany. The loosening of traditional longer-term ties between parties and important voter groups and the lower psychological attachment to political parties has contributed to higher levels of volatility and an increasing number of voters who choose their party increasingly late in an electoral campaign. This may go some way in explaining the sensitivity of voters to unexpected events during the course of the 2002 campaign and the changing fortunes of the parties during the campaign. It will be argued that growing levels of volatility have increased the uncertainty in the parties’ bargaining environment at the governmental level and – ceteris paribus – contributed to the growing scope for policy gridlock.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/0964400042000233904
Uncontrolled keywords: Germany, voting behaviour, elections, party identification, political parties
Subjects: J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
J Political Science > JN Political institutions and public administration (Europe)
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Politics and International Relations
Depositing User: T.K. Saalfeld
Date Deposited: 20 May 2008 07:14 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Mar 2023 11:29 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/3705 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Saalfeld, Thomas.

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