Class voting and the differential role of political values: evidence from 12 West-European countries. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Langsæther, Peter Egge
• Is Part Of: Journal of elections, public opinions & parties. Volume 29:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 125
• Page End: 142
• Publication Date: 2019-01-02
• Subjects: Elections -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Political parties -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Public opinion -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1945- -- Periodicals; 324.941086005
• DOI: 10.1080/17457289.2018.1464015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1745-7289

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Influential theories of class voting assume that the phenomenon occurs because classes hold different political values, which in turn affect their party preference. However, we do not know how important this mechanism is. Hence, this article uses high-quality survey data from 12 Western European countries to study the association between class and voting. The results suggest that political values – including non-economic values – play a central role in accounting for this association, although substantial class differences persist even when holding political values constant. I furthermore argue that the relevance of this mechanism should vary by party family. Political values should account for class voting to the extent that parties give the voters clear signals on issues of relevance to the value orientations. As such, party behaviour not only affects the level of class voting, but the very nature of the link between class and voting. This article contributes first by testing one of the most important theories of the mechanisms behind class voting, and second by demonstrating how the parties' behaviour affects this mechanism.