Manchester University Press
4 The historic strengths of the five main types of party
Abstract
This chapter seeks to identify and explains the varying strengths of the main party types at the polls. It emphasises four prominent features. The first two are the electoral supremacy of social democracy in Denmark, Norway and most notably Sweden, and the strength and resilience of agrarianism in Finland. The next two are the strength of the radical left in Finland and Iceland, and the merger of liberalism and conservatism as a catch-all centre-right in Iceland. Viewed from a voter's perspective, during their 'frozen' period before 1970 the Scandinavian party systems exhibited three striking features: a high level of electoral stability; generally low levels of inter-bloc mobility; and, above all, the predominance of class-based voting. The Nordic party systems have traditionally been characterised by a number of non-socialist parties seeking to protect and promote their separate identities in a crowded electoral marketplace.
Abstract
This chapter seeks to identify and explains the varying strengths of the main party types at the polls. It emphasises four prominent features. The first two are the electoral supremacy of social democracy in Denmark, Norway and most notably Sweden, and the strength and resilience of agrarianism in Finland. The next two are the strength of the radical left in Finland and Iceland, and the merger of liberalism and conservatism as a catch-all centre-right in Iceland. Viewed from a voter's perspective, during their 'frozen' period before 1970 the Scandinavian party systems exhibited three striking features: a high level of electoral stability; generally low levels of inter-bloc mobility; and, above all, the predominance of class-based voting. The Nordic party systems have traditionally been characterised by a number of non-socialist parties seeking to protect and promote their separate identities in a crowded electoral marketplace.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables vii
- Preface ix
- List of abbreviations xi
-
Part I Scandinavia past and present
- 1 The eight quills of the swan 3
- 2 Nation-building and state-building, 1809–1944 25
-
Part II Parties in developmental perspective
- 3 The emergence of the Scandinavian party system(s) 51
- 4 The historic strengths of the five main types of party 72
-
Part III Parties, voters and social change: w(h)ither the Scandinavian party system model?
- 5 The ‘earthquake elections’ of 1970–73 and the emergence of new party types 101
- 6 Party system change since 1970 133
-
Part IV The Nordic model
- 7 A Nordic model of government? 151
- 8 The Nordic welfare model 170
-
Part V Legislative–executive relations in the Nordic region
- 9 The Nordic parliaments 193
- 10 ‘Fairly strong standing committees’ and ‘influential party groups’ – a distinctively Nordic mix? 209
- 11 Nordic government(s) 229
-
Part VI The strategic security environment
- 12 The changing security environment of the Nordic region 259
- 13 ‘Reluctant Nordics’, ‘reluctant Europeans’, but ‘moral superpowers’? 297
- Epilogue 340
- Index 344
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables vii
- Preface ix
- List of abbreviations xi
-
Part I Scandinavia past and present
- 1 The eight quills of the swan 3
- 2 Nation-building and state-building, 1809–1944 25
-
Part II Parties in developmental perspective
- 3 The emergence of the Scandinavian party system(s) 51
- 4 The historic strengths of the five main types of party 72
-
Part III Parties, voters and social change: w(h)ither the Scandinavian party system model?
- 5 The ‘earthquake elections’ of 1970–73 and the emergence of new party types 101
- 6 Party system change since 1970 133
-
Part IV The Nordic model
- 7 A Nordic model of government? 151
- 8 The Nordic welfare model 170
-
Part V Legislative–executive relations in the Nordic region
- 9 The Nordic parliaments 193
- 10 ‘Fairly strong standing committees’ and ‘influential party groups’ – a distinctively Nordic mix? 209
- 11 Nordic government(s) 229
-
Part VI The strategic security environment
- 12 The changing security environment of the Nordic region 259
- 13 ‘Reluctant Nordics’, ‘reluctant Europeans’, but ‘moral superpowers’? 297
- Epilogue 340
- Index 344
