ABSTRACT
The chapter aims to assess the existence of a liberal party family on the basis of the parties’ ideological or policy orientation, which constitutes one of P. Mair and C. Mudde's main approaches to delineate party families. It explains the criteria of transnational affiliation, and analyses the ideological distinctiveness and homogeneity of this group of parties. The chapter also aims to answer the question: Can we talk about a Liberal party family when looking at the ideological criteria? It examines the distinctiveness and homogeneity of the liberal party family cross-sectionally and longitudinally, by using data from the Chapel Hill Expert Survey and from the Comparative Manifesto Project. Using data on parties’ position on a variety of policy issues, the chapter estimates their placement on the two main ideological dimensions that have structured most party systems in Europe: the economic dimension, and the cultural dimension.
