2024/11/14 by Raf Reuse · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Business, Management and Accounting · #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Populism, Right-Wing Movements #Political Influence and Corporate Strategies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/spsr.12639
openalex publication_date 2024/11/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Abstract In comparative political science the question whether the local political space can be structured along a left–right dimension is being strongly debated. A growing body of research underpins the relevance of left and right in local politics, but these studies are often conducted from the perspective of voters and, above all, in large cities. In order to close these gaps in the literature, this paper addresses the shape of the local political space and the role of municipal size by analysing 257 local party manifestos in the context of Flanders (Belgium). With the help of Wordscores, local parties' policy positions on the general, economic and cultural left–right dimension in small, medium‐sized and large municipalities are analysed. The findings show a strong ideological resemblance between local branches of the same party and between local branches and their national party, but this relationship is not affected by municipal size.