IDEOLOGY AND PARTY SUPPORT IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

From the original Downs (1957) conceptualization to the Enelow and Hin ich (1984) reformulation, ideology has been the key organizing dimensi on for electoral competition in the spatial model. The unidimensional spatial model is best suited to responsible multiparty systems where l eft-right position is known to be an important determinant of individu al political behaviour. We contrast the traditional spatial model with the directional model recently proposed by Rabinowitz and Macdonald ( 1989) and test the models using data from six northern European democr acies. Based on 57 different parties, the results suggest that even in this unidimensional ideological context the cleavage-oriented directi onal model provides a better explanation of mass attachments to politi cal parties.