Academic Bibliography

 Search 200 years of publications by Ghent University researchers.
Advanced search
3 files | 3.22 MB
Add to list
  1. Search results
  2. Does the left–right cleavage matter i...

Does the left–right cleavage matter in local politics? An analysis of local party manifestos across municipal sizes

Raf Reuse (UGent)
(2025) SWISS POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW. 31(2). p.200-221
Author
Organization
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.
Keywords
Computational text analysis, Ideology, Left-right, Local politics, Party manifestos

Downloads

  • Download
    AAM.pdf
    • full text (Accepted manuscript)
    • |
    • open access
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 783.24 KB
  • Download
    Appendix SPSR.docx
    • supplementary material
    • |
    • open access
    • |
    • Word
    • |
    • 860.40 KB
  • Download
    (...).pdf
    • full text (Published version)
    • |
    • UGent only
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 1.58 MB

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Reuse, Raf. “Does the Left–Right Cleavage Matter in Local Politics? An Analysis of Local Party Manifestos across Municipal Sizes.” SWISS POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, vol. 31, no. 2, 2025, pp. 200–21, doi:10.1111/spsr.12639.
APA
Reuse, R. (2025). Does the left–right cleavage matter in local politics? An analysis of local party manifestos across municipal sizes. SWISS POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, 31(2), 200–221. https://doi.org/10.1111/spsr.12639
Chicago author-date
Reuse, Raf. 2025. “Does the Left–Right Cleavage Matter in Local Politics? An Analysis of Local Party Manifestos across Municipal Sizes.” SWISS POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW 31 (2): 200–221. https://doi.org/10.1111/spsr.12639.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Reuse, Raf. 2025. “Does the Left–Right Cleavage Matter in Local Politics? An Analysis of Local Party Manifestos across Municipal Sizes.” SWISS POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW 31 (2): 200–221. doi:10.1111/spsr.12639.
Vancouver
1.
Reuse R. Does the left–right cleavage matter in local politics? An analysis of local party manifestos across municipal sizes. SWISS POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW. 2025;31(2):200–21.
IEEE
[1]
R. Reuse, “Does the left–right cleavage matter in local politics? An analysis of local party manifestos across municipal sizes,” SWISS POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 200–221, 2025.
@article{01JFJ4A9A7E9AWR80HFEHXGHQK,
  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.}},
  author       = {{Reuse, Raf}},
  issn         = {{1424-7755}},
  journal      = {{SWISS POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW}},
  keywords     = {{Computational text analysis,Ideology,Left-right,Local politics,Party manifestos}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{200--221}},
  title        = {{Does the left–right cleavage matter in local politics? An analysis of local party manifestos across municipal sizes}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1111/spsr.12639}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}
Altmetric
View in Altmetric
Web of Science
Times cited: