Conflict Mobilisation or Problem-Solving?: Issue Competition in Western Europe

Six important European countries went to the polls between 2017 and 2018, and this book presents the results of the Issue Competition Comparative Project (ICCP), which analyzed these elections through a focus on post-ideological issue competition. The contributors to this volume cast a new light on electoral developments that have affected Western Europe in recent years, pointing to the key distinction between problem-solvers and conflict mobilizers and the ability of some actors to mobilize voters across traditional ideological boundaries. The fate of democracy in Western Europe does not appear doomed to a triumph of populist appeals, but rather depends on the ability of political parties to leverage issue opportunities that emerge from societal demands and needs.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Six significant European countries held elections between 2017 and 2018 in the wake of disruptive electoral and political developments, including the Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Trump. This book presents the findings of the Issue Competition Comparative Project (ICCP), which analyzed these six elections through a lens of post-ideological issue competition. Leveraging a novel theoretical perspective and innovative data collection and analysis methods derived from issue yield theory, the contributors to this volume shed new light on electoral trends that have impacted Western Europe in recent years.

The key distinction identified by the contributors is between problem-solvers (parties and leaders who leverage their technocratic competence and present a consensual, win-win view of contemporary transformations) and conflict mobilizers (who instead invest in mobilizing conflict emerging from these transformations). They also highlight the ability of some actors to mobilize voters across traditional ideological boundaries. In this context, parties commonly labeled as populist emerge distinctively as cross-ideological conflict mobilizers, while mainstream parties appear vital and competitive when they properly identify and leverage their issue advantages.

The fate of democracy in Western Europe, therefore, does not hinge solely on the triumph of populist appeals. Rather, it depends on the ability of political parties to seize opportunities that arise from societal demands and needs, leveraging issue competition to shape political outcomes.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of West European Politics.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367710866