Parties, cleavages and issue evolution

The case of the religious–secular cleavage in Chile

Bibliographic Data

ID6316549
AuthorsChristopher D Raymond (0000-0003-3646-5232, University of Missouri, corresponding author), Christopher M Raymond (0000-0002-7165-885X, University of Missouri), Christopher Raymond (0000-0002-8702-9337), Brian M Barros Feltch (University of Missouri)
Year2014
Volume20
Issue3
Pages429-443
Publication date2014-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueParty Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1354-0688 • E-ISSN: 1460-3683
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1354068811436056
OpenAlexW2159677155
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited32

Several recent articles have reached different conclusions regarding the impact of the religious–secular cleavage in Chile. The resolution of this debate has important consequences for the understanding of cleavages. Studies subscribing to the view that parties have considerable agency in the maintenance of cleavages have found that religiosity no longer affects vote choice, while studies rooted in a sociological perspective argue that religiosity still matters. We show that the reason for the discrepant results is because a partisan realignment is underway, whereby religious voters are gradually shifting their loyalties from the parties of the left to the parties of the right, matching a division that has taken place at the elite level. These results are consistent with an issue evolution perspective, which provides a clearer articulation of how cleavages form than either the agency or the sociological approaches

Agency (philosophy · Articulation (sociology · Cleavage (geology · Economics · Elite · Perspective (graphical · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Religiosity · Social science · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Politics and Society in Latin America · Populism, Right-Wing Movements

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