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RESEARCH PRODUCT

‘Dead men walking?’ Party identification in Germany, 1977–2002

Kai Arzheimer

subject

PoliticsInterpersonal tiesMobilizationWorking classmedia_common.quotation_subjectPolitical economyPolitical sciencePolitical Science and International RelationsDevelopment economicsDealignmentIdentification (psychology)West germanymedia_common

description

Abstract Scholars engaged in the discourse on ‘Parteienverdrossenheit’ claim that a breakdown of party attachments in West Germany occurred during the early 1990s. Employing data from a series of monthly polls that were conducted from 1977 to 2002, this paper demonstrates that the notion of such a rapid decline is wrong. Rather than being swept away by political crises, party identification declines slowly and fairly constantly over time, which is in line with theories of a secular dealignment. Furthermore, it can be shown that this dealignment is driven by a weakening of traditional social ties, while cognitive mobilization and change in the composition of the society have no effect on partisanship. The decline is most pronounced among the working class.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2006-12-01Electoral Studies
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2006.01.004