The relationship between issues and an individual’s left–right orientation

Abstract

The major body of the literature about individuals' left-right orientation assumes that individuals' values and attitudes towards different issues will, besides other factors, determine their position in the left-right dimension. Regarding values, it is assumed that these are stable over (a long period of) time and hence, affect individuals' left-right orientation. But as issue preferences change over time, cross-nationally and in their importance for individuals, the relationship between issues and left-right orientation is less clear. We argue and show with data from the European Social Survey (2002/03) of the Netherlands that the relationship between the opinions about or the attitude towards issues and left-right orientation is moderated by issue salience which means the importance people assign to the issues. Those which are important for them affect their left-right orientation, while they may use the latter to form an opinion about an issue which is not important for them.

United against a common foe? The nature and origins of Euroscepticism among left-wing and right-wing citizens

“…economic liberalism, monoculturalism). In case of conflicting issue positions in terms of left-right, left-right identification can be adapted based on the issues most salient to the voter (Weber and Saris 2015). Left-right is thus meaningful even if there is a pluralization of issues it is associated with.…”

The changing relationship between left–right ideology and euroscepticism, 1973–2010

“…Still, both economic and socio-cultural issues are correlated with left-right, so that support for redistribution and multiculturalism are left-wing attitudes, while economic liberalism and monoculturalism are associated with the right. In case a citizen holds conflicting issue positions in terms of left-right, it is likely that left-right identification is adapted based on the dimension that is most salient to the citizen (Weber and Saris, 2014). Left-right thus remains meaningful, even if there is a pluralization of issues it is associated with.…”

The dynamics of political identity and issue attitudes in adolescence and early adulthood

“…Using cross-lagged models, panel studies have supported both mechanisms by revealing that political identity is predicted by prior issue attitudes as well as vice versa (Carsey and Layman, 2006;Evans and Neundorf, 2013;Franklin, 1984;Goren, 2005;Highton and Kam, 2011;Johnston, 2006). Although most of these studies focused on partisanship, some studies demonstrated a similar mutual relation between left-right identification and issue attitudes (Jaeger, 2008;Pardos-Prado, 2011;Weber and Saris, 2014). All these studies were conducted on the major electoral panel studies that are available around the world (e.g., British Household Panel Study; National Election Study; Political Socialization Panel Study).…”