Marco Steenbergen

Mean voter representation and partisan constituency representation: Do parties respond to the mean voter position or to their supporters?

Do political parties respond to shifts in the preferences of their supporters, which we label the partisan constituency model, or to shifts in the mean voter position (the general electorate model)? Cross-national analyses — based on observations from Eurobarometer surveys and parties’ policy programmes in 15 countries from 1973 to 2002 — suggest that the general electorate model characterizes the policy shifts of mainstream parties. Alternatively, when we analyse the policy shifts of Communist, Green and extreme Nationalist parties (i.e. ‘niche’ parties), we find that these parties respond to shifts in the mean position of their supporters. The findings have implications for spatial theories and political representation.

Deliberative and non-deliberative persuasion: Mechanisms of opinion formation in EuroPolis

From a normative vantage point, post-deliberative opinions should be linked to the quality of arguments presented during discussion. Yet, there is a dearth of research testing this claim. Our study makes a first attempt to overcome this deficiency. By analyzing a European deliberative poll on third country migration, we explore whether statements backed by reason affect opinions, which we term deliberative persuasion. We contrast deliberative persuasion to non-deliberative persuasion, whereby we explore whether the most frequently repeated position influences opinions. We find that with regard to regularization of irregular immigrants, deliberative persuasion took place. In the context of European involvement in immigration affairs, however, opinions are driven by the most frequently repeated position rather than by the quality of argumentation.

The New Political Psychology of Voting

Psychological approaches have played a central role in electoral research at least since the publication of The American Voter (Campbell et al. 1976). The early work drew from the then dominant currents in social psychology. In the 1960s, this meant a heavy emphasis on beliefs and attitudes. Thus, the Michigan voting model gave a central place to partisan attachments, perceptions of the issues, and appraisals of political candidates. It also took a close look at the manner in which voters reasoned about political parties, candidates, and issues, demonstrating for the United States that ideological constraint played a relatively minor role. While the early attempts at psychologizing the vote choice were not without detractors, their success and impact can be measured by their continued appeal and the large volume of studies that have been produced in this framework.

Better the devil you know? Risk-taking, globalization and populism in Great Britain

Right-wing populist parties in European democracies appeal to citizens’ feelings of uncertainty related to globalization by promoting tough immigration laws and curbing the power of the European Union. This article adds to our understanding of how individuals’ risk propensity relates to support for right-wing populist parties and their ideas in the context of globalization. In particular, by drawing on survey data from the United Kingdom we investigate how this personality trait relates to support for the United Kingdom Independence Party and the vote for a British exit from the European Union. The article explores the complex interplay between risk propensity and right-wing populist appeals by dissecting the direct, indirect and total effects of this trait.

Deliberation in Parliament: Research Objectives and Preliminary Results of the Bern Center for Interdisciplinary Deliberation Studies (BIDS)

Abstract Deliberation in parliaments aspires to convey public justification to general norms mandatory for all. Deliberative theory looks at the normative and empirical implications of this institutional role. Within the first sections of this article, we want to explain the relationship between the argumentation requirements derived from discourse theory, the legitimation concept that results from the procedural role of parliaments within the legal framework, and the legitimacy requirement that captures the need for public acceptance. Within the last sections, the empirical analysis of discursive elements within parliamentary debates is discussed.