Local traditions of voting behaviour and party structure in Lower Saxony (Oldenburg/Ostfriesland)

Abstract

Modern democracy and industrial economy are embedded in a complex set of social and political change often named the process of modernization. In general this process has been analyzed frequently. Important political aspects have been treated by Lipset, Rokkan, Weiner, La Palombara and others (1). Years ago Abendroth has suggested a local and regional approach to the impact of social structure on political behaviour (2). His suggestion initiated some of studies compiling all the data available for several smaller urban and rural areas (3). A different line of research in the same field was started by Heberle's pioneer work on Schleswig-Holstein and Sahner's replica tion of this study (4). Neither approach has been tried in studies of Lower or its northwestern part (Oldenburg/Ostfriesland) (5). This area (i.e.the former administrative districts of Aurich and Olden burg, including eight counties and four county boroughs or cities) is subject of a regionally orientated research program on Social and political change in northwestern Lower Saxony (SOPOWA) at the Uni versity of Oldenburg. The program was started in 1976 and is supported by a grant from research funds of the land of Lower Saxony. Research wor* so far has concentrated mainly on the territory of the former duchy/republic of Oldenburg. Four historians and four political scien tists cooperate in a program that includes four special studies on different aspects of the general topic. One of them, the analysis of local traditions of voting behaviour and party structure directed by Karl-Heinz Nassmacher and Wolfgang Rudzio, is subject of this report.