Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union

The economic crisis within the European Union has had a significant impact on domestic politics in the member states, affecting the links between parties and citizens and accentuating the tensions parties face between governing responsibility and being responsive to public opinion. This article exam...

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Main Authors: Clements, Ben, Nanou, Kyriaki, Real-Dato, José
Format: Article
Published: SAGE 2018
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Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48642/
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author Clements, Ben
Nanou, Kyriaki
Real-Dato, José
author_facet Clements, Ben
Nanou, Kyriaki
Real-Dato, José
author_sort Clements, Ben
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description The economic crisis within the European Union has had a significant impact on domestic politics in the member states, affecting the links between parties and citizens and accentuating the tensions parties face between governing responsibility and being responsive to public opinion. This article examines whether parties in EU countries have shifted their left–right ideological positions during the current crisis and whether such shifts are a direct response to the pressures of wider economic conditions or are more affected by changes in the preferences of the median voter. Party-based and citizen-based data are examined between 2002 and 2015, encompassing both the precrisis and crisis periods. The main findings are that the economic crisis has made parties less responsive to public opinion on the left–right dimension, and this effect is more pronounced for parties that have been in government.
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spelling nottingham-486422020-05-04T19:24:25Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48642/ Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union Clements, Ben Nanou, Kyriaki Real-Dato, José The economic crisis within the European Union has had a significant impact on domestic politics in the member states, affecting the links between parties and citizens and accentuating the tensions parties face between governing responsibility and being responsive to public opinion. This article examines whether parties in EU countries have shifted their left–right ideological positions during the current crisis and whether such shifts are a direct response to the pressures of wider economic conditions or are more affected by changes in the preferences of the median voter. Party-based and citizen-based data are examined between 2002 and 2015, encompassing both the precrisis and crisis periods. The main findings are that the economic crisis has made parties less responsive to public opinion on the left–right dimension, and this effect is more pronounced for parties that have been in government. SAGE 2018-01-01 Article PeerReviewed Clements, Ben, Nanou, Kyriaki and Real-Dato, José (2018) Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union. Party Politics, 24 (1). pp. 52-64. ISSN 1460-3683 economic crisis European Union left–right ideology parties responsiveness http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1354068817736757 doi:10.1177/1354068817736757 doi:10.1177/1354068817736757
spellingShingle economic crisis
European Union
left–right ideology
parties
responsiveness
Clements, Ben
Nanou, Kyriaki
Real-Dato, José
Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union
title Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union
title_full Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union
title_fullStr Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union
title_full_unstemmed Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union
title_short Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union
title_sort economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the european union
topic economic crisis
European Union
left–right ideology
parties
responsiveness
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48642/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48642/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/48642/