Mechanisms of Wedge-Issue Competition

Abstract

This chapter reexamines the statistical analysis of the previous chapter by detailing the underlying mechanisms that drive wedge-issue competition logics. Two case studies are presented: A Spanish case explores wedge-issue competition in a political system with single-party governments; a German case explores wedge-issue competition in a system with coalition governments. The Spanish case demonstrates that religious opposition parties aimed to drive a wedge between the minority government and its potential ad hoc coalition party by highlighting particularly conflictive questions related to the regulation of same-sex marriage. The German case reveals that government format (grand versus minimal winning coalition) determines the formal agenda power of governments and thus influences opposition parties’ ability in dividing the government. The chapter concludes with the finding that morality policy politicization by (secular) mass parties decreases with the permissiveness of the policies.