It's no longer the economy, stupid! Issue yield at the 2017 German federal election

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

This article demonstrates that the issue-yield concept is able to predict the electoral strategies of mainstream and challenger parties at the 2017 German federal election. While the electorate of mainstream parties favour valence issues, the Greens and the AfD can gain more by concentrating on socio-cultural positional issues. Relying on a unique survey covering 17 positional issues and 10 valence issues as well as an analysis of Twitter accounts, the article shows that contemporary Germany is characterised by a centrifugal competition on the socio-cultural dimension. At the same time, an asymmetric ideological confrontation persists on the socio-economic dimension, because the Left and the SPD still refer to their traditional welfare issues while the bourgeois parties no longer counter this with a contrasting free-market ideology. Thus, the economy is currently not the decisive issue in German politics. Migration, integration, and other socio-cultural issues are rather driving electoral competition.

Object Details

• ISSN: 1743-9655
• Extent: Seite(n): 610-638
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: West European Politics, 43(3)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Politikwissenschaft ; politische Willensbildung, politische Soziologie, politische Kultur ; Bundestagswahl ; Wahlkampf ; Wahlverhalten ; Parteipolitik ; politisches Programm ; Polarisierung ; Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Franzmann, Simon T. ; Giebler, Heiko ; Poguntke, Thomas
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Vereinigtes Königreich
• (when): 2020

Further information

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2019.1655963
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/209752
• Rights: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:27 PM CEST