Manchester University Press
6 Party system change since 1970
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the extent of party system change since the 'earthquake elections' of 1970-1973. In considering the extent of change, it seems useful to separate out three analytically distinct elements of party systems, their size, structure and dynamics. Social structural change has undercut the relative size of the Social Democrats' 'natural' electoral constituency. If changes in the size of the Scandinavian party systems are assessed in relation to the vote share of the three 'pole parties', the Social Democrats, the Agrarians/Centre and the Conservatives, there has been a mixture of 'core persistence' and change. Whilst from an electoral standpoint the Scandinavian party systems have exhibited heightened dimensionality, the structure of the legislative party systems has been predominantly unidimensional. The changing dynamics of the legislative party system involves focusing on three things, the interaction of the parliamentary parties, the nature of legislative majority-building and the structure of party competition.
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the extent of party system change since the 'earthquake elections' of 1970-1973. In considering the extent of change, it seems useful to separate out three analytically distinct elements of party systems, their size, structure and dynamics. Social structural change has undercut the relative size of the Social Democrats' 'natural' electoral constituency. If changes in the size of the Scandinavian party systems are assessed in relation to the vote share of the three 'pole parties', the Social Democrats, the Agrarians/Centre and the Conservatives, there has been a mixture of 'core persistence' and change. Whilst from an electoral standpoint the Scandinavian party systems have exhibited heightened dimensionality, the structure of the legislative party systems has been predominantly unidimensional. The changing dynamics of the legislative party system involves focusing on three things, the interaction of the parliamentary parties, the nature of legislative majority-building and the structure of party competition.
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
