Zu dem im Juli 2026 veröffentlichten und von Niklas Bolin und Magnus Hagevi herausgegebenen Band „A Research Agenda for Political Parties“ hat Aiko Wagner ein Buchkapitel beigetragen. Unter dem Titel „The next realignment of party systems“ untersucht er den Wandel der Parteisysteme in westlichen Ländern, gibt einen Überblick über bisher genutzte Definitionen und empirische Befunde und schlägt eine grundlegende Neubewertung des politischen „realignment“ vor.

Abstract:

This chapter explores whether contemporary changes in Western party systems indicate ongoing dealignment – the weakening of stable party–voter ties – or a new realignment with reconfigured group-based voting. It reviews competing definitions, measurement strategies, and empirical findings, showing that while class-based alignments persist, education, age, values, and urban–rural divides have given rise to a salient cultural (GAL–TAN) dimension. At the same time, populist and anti-establishment parties have increased fragmentation and polarization, signaling de-institutionalization. The chapter proposes a forward-looking agenda to clarify terminology and measurement and to study how socio-structural change, party strategies, and emerging cleavages interact. It argues for a fundamental reappraisal of realignment theory and methods to resolve these seemingly contradictory dynamics.

Der Beitrag ist kostenfrei aus dem FU-Netz abrufbar: https://research.ebsco.com/c/wb7vjl/search/details/jtpuskqsfv?request-context=plink&db=nlebk

Wagner, A. (2026): "The next realignment of party systems". In: A Research Agenda for Political Parties. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, S. 104-117. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035326303.00013