ABSTRACT
This chapters sets out in detail the general analytical framework followed in the book. It examines the main theories and models that we use to explain the radical left party vote as well as the distinct profile of RLPs’ electorates. We review the extant literature on the topic and propose a model that combines demand-side factors and contextual variables, including supply-side aspects. Among the demand-side socio-demographic factors, we consider the following: social class, gender, level of education, employment status, sector of employment, age, and place of residence. We then examine demand-side variables such as core values, political attitudes and ideological orientations, and voters’ patterns of civil society engagement and non-electoral participation. The contextual variables include the economic context (including welfare policies), the institutional environment (electoral rules), and the individuals’ political discontent and economic distress. The supply-side aspects include RLPs’ organizational features, policy positions, and other issue competition strategies. The chapter contains a set of theoretical expectations that are then tested across the book and operates as a guide for the analysis performed in the following chapters.
