THE CHANGING NATURE OF PARTISAN DIVISIONS IN THE WEST: TRENDS IN DOMESTIC POLICY ORIENTATIONS IN TEN PARTY SYSTEMS

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe nature of partisan divisions in the West has been a continuing source of controversy for several decades. This article seeks to improve our understanding of those divisions by examining how Western parties have changed their positions on major domestic policy issues in recent decades. The research employs longitudinal data developed through content analysis on the parties of ten Western nations: Australia, Austria, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, the United States, and West Germany. Analysis of the data shows that, as expected, partisan divisions have declined in almost all of the party systems, although the decline has unexpectedly been accompanied by a slight tendency toward leftward movement, belying suggestions of a “conservative turn” in Western politics. The paper also considers the possibility that new issues may develop to supplant the declining traditional issues. The paper concludes that a revival of pronounced partisan divisions is unlikely, but that a revival probably is not necessary for the continued viability of Western parties.