Party politics, religion and elections in Western democracies

Abstract

In the field of the comparative study of religion and politics, much has been written about Christian Democracy but rather little about the religious cleavage, which according to most studies of the party family underlies it. This paper addresses the issues of the characteristics of the religious cleavage in Western democracies in the transition from the twentieth to the twenty-first century and the role of religious parties. Beginning with a critical review of the concepts of secularization and cleavage politics the argument is advanced that the religious cleavage remains a force in party politics and voting behaviour, yet is undergoing a change in light of cultural and political differentiation processes. There are signs that denominational voting decreases in most Western democracies; at the same time, differences between religiously oriented and secular voters, though also slightly declining, remain rather robust at a higher level than denominational voting. A new element is added by the growing importance of non-Christian minorities in most of these countries. These developments have profound consequences for the position and identity of Christian Democracy and other confessionally oriented parties.