Varieties of Radicalism: Examining the Diversity of Radical Left Parties and Voters in Western Europe



Gomez Martinez, Raul ORCID: 0000-0002-6810-0628, Morales, Laura and Ramiro, Luis
(2016) Varieties of Radicalism: Examining the Diversity of Radical Left Parties and Voters in Western Europe. West European Politics, 39 (2). pp. 351-379.

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Abstract

Radical left parties (RLPs) are diverse and several RLP subtypes have been distinguished in the literature. However, the degree to which these subtypes are linked to significantly different policy proposals has not been analysed, and little is known about whether subtypes are associated with differences in their respective voters’ characteristics. This article analyses the policy positions of RLPs across a number of issues, using manifesto and expert survey data, allowing insights into the differentiation between types of RLPs. RLPs differ in the extent to which they adopt New Politics issues, and the article proposes a classification of Traditional and New Left RLPs. Using cross-national survey data from the European Election Studies series and multilevel multinomial models, the article examines the ideological, policy and social differences in the electorates of the various types of RLPs. It finds socio-demographic and attitudinal differences between the voters of Traditional and New Left RLPs that are consistent with the programmatic differences of the parties.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: political parties, radical left, new politics, Europe, electoral behaviour
Subjects: ?? JA ??
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 04 Sep 2015 08:32
Last Modified: 16 Dec 2022 04:43
DOI: 10.1080/01402382.2015.1064245
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/2023885