Dynamic roll call analysis of parties’ ideological positions in the Czech Republic

Abstract

ABSTRACTA classification of the party system in the Czech Republic has been challenging. The party system is usually assigned to a type of either moderate or polarised pluralism. Unfortunately, based on easily accessible electoral results, scholars employ counting statistics such as electoral volatility and party system fragmentation analysis excessively. However, to classify the system according to Sartorian typology, ideological patterns should not be ignored. Furthermore, it is not enough to treat ideology statically. Therefore, I propose a new complementary method of dynamic analysis of parties’ ideological positions based on scrutiny of roll calls to study the party system in the Czech Republic between 1993 and 2017. I delineate parties’ ideological positions (left-right axis) through time and classify the party system as a moderate pluralism. Since the results contradict some earlier findings about the Czech party system, it appears to be a promising additional tool to help study party systems in general.