Presentation of the research project "Party strategies and the dynamics of electoral competition in multiparty democracies"

1. PARTY STRATEGIES AND THE DYNAMICS OF ELECTORAL
COMPETITION IN MULTIPARTY DEMOCRACIES
Anke Tresch
SNSF Professor, University of Lausanne

2. RELEVANCE AND RESEARCH QUESTION
• Election campaigns are important
– For citizens, to learn about policy ideas and make
sound choices
– For parties, to convince voters and win office
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3. RELEVANCE AND RESEARCH QUESTION
• Election campaigns are important
– For citizens, to learn about policy ideas and make
sound choices
– For parties, to convince voters and win office
• Campaign strategies are not well understood
How do parties compete in election campaigns, and
why do they choose the strategies they do?
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4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Issue definition
(e.g., Scheufele, 1999)
Image building
(e.g., Jacobs/Shapiro, 1994)
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issue
Issue selection
(e.g., Budge/Farlie, 1983)
shift positions
Position-taking
(e.g., Enelow/Hinich, 1984)
• Develop a new, cohesive theoretical framework
Four dimensions of
electoral competition

5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Issue definition
Swiss People's Party
redefines issue as a matter
of "energy independence""
Image building
Greens attack Green-
Liberals as "light green
copy" of the "green
original"
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Greens promote
energy/environment issue
Issue selection
Christian-Democrats and
Liberals shift positions
Position-taking
• Fukushima in the 2011 Swiss national election campaign
Four dimensions of
electoral competition

6. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Mobilizing
Appeal to core voters
Chasing
Attract new voters
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Four dimensions
• Issue selection
• Position-taking
• Issue definition
• Image priming
Four dimensions Four dimensions
• New, popular
• Changing, vague
• Re-define
• Attack other
parties
• Two ideal-typical campaign strategies (Rohrschneider, 2002)

7. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Mobilizing
Appeal to core voters
Chasing
Attract new voters
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Four dimensions
• Issue selection
• Position-taking
• Issue definition
• Image priming
Four dimensions
• Own traditional
• Stable, clear
• Familiar
• Praise own
party
Four dimensions
• New, popular
• Changing, vague
• Re-define
• Attack other
parties
• Two ideal-typical campaign strategies (Rohrschneider, 2002)

8. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Mobilizing
Appeal to core voters
Chasing
Attract new voters
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Four dimensions
• Issue selection
• Position-taking
• Issue definition
• Image priming
Four dimensions
• Own traditional
• Stable, clear
• Familiar
• Praise own
party
Four dimensions
• New, popular
• Changing, vague
• Re-define
• Attack other
parties
• Two ideal-typical campaign strategies (Rohrschneider, 2002)

9. MOBILIZE OR CHASE: SOME HYPOTHESES (1)
• Several explanatory factors
• Expected variations (1) within parties, between
parties, and between countries
Manifestos Ads Media coverage
Mobilizing Chasing
Communication channel
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10. MOBILIZE OR CHASE: SOME HYPOTHESES (2)
• Several explanatory factors
• Expected variations (1) within parties, (2) between
parties, and between countries
Leftist parties Right-wing parties
Mobilizing Chasing
Partisanship
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11. MOBILIZE OR CHASE: SOME HYPOTHESES (3)
• Several explanatory factors
• Expected variations (1) within parties, (2) between
parties, (3) between countries
Closed Open
Mobilizing Chasing
Access to government
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12. RESEARCH DESIGN: CASE SELECTION
• Cross-national comparative design
Switzerland, Belgium, Germany
 Similar cases
 Access to government varies
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13. METHODS AND DATA
• Last two national elections in each country
• Mixed methods approach
Qualitative and quantitative methods
 Comparative case study approach
 Interviews with campaign managers
 (Quantitative) content analysis
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14. DATA CODING
• Parties with seats in national parliament
• Common coding scheme of statements
Relational content analysis
"who says what directed at whom and why"
 Who/at whom: image building
 What: issue selection & position-taking
 Why: issue definition
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15. DATA CODING
• Coding examples
“The Greens want nuclear phase-out to protect the
environment”
 Who: the Greens / at whom: no addressed actor
 What: nuclear phase out / positive position
 Why: protect the environment
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16. DATA CODING
• Coding examples
The Greens said that “the Green-Liberals are only a
light green copy of the green original”
 Who: Greens (positive image: original)
 At whom: Green-Liberals (negative image: light
green, copy)
 What: no issue, no position
 Why: no issue definition
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