Dynamic Stability

Abstract

Danish voter behaviour has been characterized by increasing volatility, suggesting a growing pool of floating voters. This interpretation, however, does not seem fitting. First, there are no signs of increasing volatility between the two major blocs in Danish politics—the left and the right. Second, analyses document that even though one of the previously strong, socio-structural anchors of party choice—social class—has had decreasing influence on the vote over the period since the early 1970s, other socio-structural anchors have growing importance. These include gender and education, just as geographical location seems to maintain an influence on the vote. Similarly, voters’ positions on the socio-structural anchor variables feed into their position on the two major attitudinal dimensions structuring vote choice: economic redistribution and cultural values. Thus, an important explanation for the rise in volatility is the transition from a one-dimensional system to a two-dimensional one where voters base their decisions on both economic and cultural positions. Within this political space, we finally observe how the parties’ positioning in the competition for votes influences vote choices in a consistent manner.