New Dimensions of Political Cleavage

Abstract

This article presents a survey of political cleavage. The survey presented in the article asks what scholars mean when they talk about cleavages; the revelations of recent studies about the contours of new cleavages, their origins, and their consequences are included. The model of difference, divide, and cleavage is illustrated in the article. The article lists the new typologies of cleavage, and the new explanations for cleavage are also provided.

Increasing conflict in times of retrenchment? Attitudes towards healthcare provision in Europe between 1996 and 2002

“…The distinction between old and new cleavages is found mainly in political science. Old cleavages refer to the traditional conflict lines dividing societies, such as those between classes and between people of different political ideology (Deegan‐Krause, ; Lipset & Rokkan, ). With the rise of issues – such as political participation, environmental protection or immigration – new cleavages such as gender (Brooks, Nieuwbeerta, & Manza, ) or educational and generational differences (Inglehart, ) emerged.…”

Cleavages, Protest or Voting for Hope? The Rise of Centrist Populist Parties in the Czech Republic

“…In this part, we deal only with the structural dimension when we examine the effect of social structure. Deegan‐Krause () calls this aspect of cleavage voting the census divide. The results of the research applying a sociological approach to the study of populist parties show that these parties are supported by the “losers of modernization” (Betz ) who face the changes in social dynamics with difficulties, as a consequence of the “integration‐demarcation” cleavage (Kriesi et al.…”

“…In contrast to value voting, issue voting is driven rather by the actual situation (see Carmines and Stimson ), whereas value voting reflects one's persistent patterns of thinking (Knutsen and Kumlin ). Deegan‐Krause () differentiates between value voting and issue voting more subtly. He uses the term “attitudinal voting” to refer to “normative” or “value” categories of cleavage voting.…”

The Determinants of Political Cleavages in Jordan, Tunisia, and Yemen: An Analysis of Political Attitudes Structure in the Arab World

“…In these theories, maneuvers on a political actor's end, charisma, and critical elections, motivates citizens, and political actors to adopt certain attitudes on activated politicized issues, and less emphasis is placed on the structural origins of ideological dimensions. A variety of intentional political cues may spur the alteration of issue dimensions, and while Riker's account favors political skills of creating divisions among existing alignments, Deegan‐Krause () emphasizes the role of charisma in activating nonsalient political issues and making these the foundations of new issue dimensions. In either case, this body of research emphasizes the importance of political agency more than social structures in the formation, evolution, and change of issue dimensions.…”

“…Cleavages are the criteria that divide members of a community into groups (Cox, 1997;Deegan-Krause, 2007). These criteria are simply citizens' preferences, interests, and worldviews.…”