Voter perceptions of parties’ left–right positions: The role of party strategies

Left–right semantics help voters simplify the complex political reality as they reduce party views on a variety of issues to a single dimension. Less studied, however, is the question of how voters arrive at parties’ left–right positions and how parties can influence voter perceptions. In this article, I demonstrate that the party can shape the voter’s understanding of the content of its left–right ideology by using three strategies: avoidance, ambivalence, or ambiguity. Specifically, the party may avoid or de-emphasize, embrace a conflicting position, or becloud its position on the controversial issue; by so doing, it induces voters to place less weight on this issue when perceiving the party’s left–right position. The empirical analysis connects voter and party data from 21 European democracies in the period 1996–2014 and finds empirical support for the effectiveness of these strategies. In particular, the study finds robust empirical evidence that strategic avoidance, ambivalence, and ambiguity strongly moderate the association between the party’s perceived ideological brand and its underlying issue content.     

The 2019 General Election in Northern Ireland: the Rise of the Centre Ground?

The experience of the 2019 general election in Northern Ireland took a very different course to that of the rest of the UK and, indeed, to the pattern of electoral politics typical of the region. Coming after almost three years with no functioning devolved government, combined with intense disagreement and uncertainty about Brexit, voters were ready to give a message to the two largest parties. Both Sinn Féin and the DUP suffered losses in the election, with the headline outcome being that unionism no longer holds the majority of seats for Northern Ireland in Westminster. More generally, there was a swing from both sides towards centre ground voting, which brought significant gains for the Alliance Party and the SDLP. This article summarises the reasons for this broad trend, focussing on the conditions and electoral pacts which brought it about. It also considers what it might mean for the prospects for Irish unification, noting that a referendum on unification will only be passed by attracting votes from those who tend to see themselves as neither unionist or nationalist.     

新时代提升党员干部政治能力问题研究--基于安徽省的调查与思考

政治能力是新时代党员干部第一位的能力。当前党员干部政治能力建设中还存在着政治敏锐性不高、政治定力不足、政治担当不够、政治执行力不强等问题,究其原因,既有主观方面的因素,也有客观方面的因素。因此,新时代提升党员干部政治能力,必须从加强党的长期执政能力建设出发,从党员干部个人和党组织主客观两个方面切入,既靠党员干部自身努力内外兼修提升政治能力,也要靠组织培养,充分发挥党组织政治功能。     

全面从严治党背景下的农村基层党组织建设——基于陕西省延安市索洛湾村的调研

加强农村基层党组织建设是坚持和加强党对农村工作全面领导的必然要求,是巩固基层政权的迫切需要,是巩固党在农村执政基础的应然选择。但是,部分农村基层党组织软弱涣散,党员结构不平衡,在党意识不强,农村干部本领恐慌,管理制度、监督机制不健全。需要通过选优配强带头人,提升党员队伍素质,增强服务效能,提升乡村治理能力,落实主体责任等路径,推动农村基层党组织全面进步、全面过硬,促进全面从严治在农村落地生根。     

二十世纪八十年代中后期以来英国工党的改革及其对提高我党执政能力的启示

反省和调整后的英国工党开始重新崛起,对我们加深对当代资本主义的认识,进而对探索新的历史条件下如何提高我党的执政能力能问题,有很大的启示作用。     

邓小平政党外交思想的理论体系

本文对“政党外交思想”和“党际关系理论”两个概念进行了区别,初步阐述了加强邓小平政党外交思想研究的重要意义;从指导思想、目标宗旨、主题判断、功能作用以及党际关系的基本原则和策略艺术等方面阐明和构建了邓小平政党外交思想的主要内容和理论体系。     

论增强党的阶级基础、扩大党的群众基础的必要性

在新世纪 ,增强党的阶级基础、扩大党的群众基础是建设有中国特色社会主义事业的必然要求 ;是改革开放以来我国社会阶级、阶层发生深刻变化带来的新要求 ;是新世纪加强党的建设的根本要求。     

论改进党的执政方式

中国共产党是世界上最大的执政党,肩负着领导全中国人民建设有中国特色社会主义的神圣使命。要把坚持执政为民这个本质落到实处,把一个有12多亿人口的大国领导好、治理好,没有很高的领导水平和执政能力是不能胜任的。党的领导水平和执政能力既取决于党的理论路线方针政策,也与党的执政方式有着直接的联系。     

民主生活会上怎样才能"讲真话"

完善民主生活会制度,充分发挥其在发展党内民主、加强党内监督中的作用,是以党内和谐促进社会和谐的迫切需要。民主生活会上不讲真话风气的蔓延,严重影响了民主生活会的质量。因此,坚持“讲真话”的要求不能放松,保护“讲真话”的措施亟待强化,督促“讲真话”的力度必须加大,回应“讲真话”的整改务必到位。     

共产党执政的实质是人民当家作主

政党的性质是由它所代表的阶级或者阶层的性质决定的。共产党执政的实质是人民当家作主,这是由党的性质、宗旨、任务决定的,共产党执政只有坚持党的性质,牢固树立宗旨意识,紧紧抓住发展这个执政兴国的第一要务,才能代表最广大人民的利益。所谓最广大人民的根本利益其实质就是人民当家作主,这也是对共产党执政的目的和要求的最充分的体现。