Multi-level electoral competition: the German case

Article abstract:

Symmetry has been a prominent feature of multi-level electoral competition in post-war Germany. However, regional parameters affecting the degree of symmetry have changed significantly over time. Looking at voting behaviour, coalition formation, party systems and party organisations, we distinguish three different phases: (a) an initial period (late 1940s to early 1960s) with a rather complex and uneven party system configuration; (b) the classical period (early 1960s to late 1980s) with a very high degree of symmetry; (c) the post-unification period (since 1990) with a tendency towards a stronger regionalisation of party competition. The article argues that these changes can be explained by the interaction of three different factors. First, a structural explanation focuses on the institutional framework of German 'co-operative federalism', which was, at least until the 1990s, characterised by a constant trend towards more interdependence between the different political levels. Second, a socio-cultural explanation emphasises the (varying) degree of homogeneity among the German electorate. Third, an actor-centred explanation points to the organisational capacities of political parties. German parties have developed a high degree of vertical integration and are (were) thus able to resolve disputes between the different levels of the political system or between different regions within their own ranks. In the 1990s, German parties found it more difficult to maintain their levels of vertical integration. Since reunification, territorial politics has therefore played a much greater role in multi-level electoral competition in Germany.