The Complexity of Political Disengagement and Issue Changes in British Politics: An Analysis of Party Support at the Local Level

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01407
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 06010:Politics-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
• Principal Investigator: Wakamatsu Kunihiro 東京外国語大学, 大学院総合国際学研究院, 教授 (90302835)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: イギリス政治 / 政治史

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Party competition in the UK has seen an unprecedented shift in support towards smaller parties since around 2012. This has been evidenced by changes in vote share of over 20 percentage points. The same period saw a series of events - the 2014 Scottish referendum, the 2016 EU referendum and the 2017 general election - that could be interpreted as voters' discontent with mainstream politics. This increased political volatility can be attributed to a shift in the political disengagement to one that involves a diverse range of voters. It is increasingly important to take account of this growing complexity when understanding political discontent and competition. By examining the relationship between political parties and voters through empirical analysis at the local level, this study identifies the characteristics of these structural changes in British politics in terms of changes in voter support and party support mobilisation, and considers their significance in political history.

Free Research Field

政治学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、性格の異なる有権者層を含むようになったという意味での政治的疎外の複層性に着目し、そこに起因する政党支持の変容から、イギリス政治の現局面の特徴を明らかにする。これにより、各国の政治的疎外と政党支持の関係に関する比較研究の材料となることを目ざしている。同国の政治は主要2党が主導する「敵対的政治」の慣性を強く有し、中部欧州諸国での多次元の対立と調整を特徴とする政治と性格を異にしてきた。そのイギリスでも、従来の経済的な軸と異なる形で、社会的に保守的かリベラルかという軸が近年意味を持ち始めている。その特徴を明らかにする本研究は、日本を含む多くの先進民主主義諸国との比較分析の一助となろう。