What is a cleavage as Lipset and Rokkan define it?
a social division based on key socio-structural characteristics such as occupation, status, religion, ethnicity

need collective consciousness/identity

need organizational manifestation of this identity – e.g. union, association, party
 

Traditional Cleavages in European Politics:

Most Important Cleavage:  Class

Others:  Center-Periphery, Church-State, Rural-Urban

The significance of each varies somewhat from country to country

Which have traditionally been most important in UK, France, Germany???

Which are most important now?
 

New Cleavages – or why decline in traditional cleavages, class based voting?

Shift to “post-industrial” society – define

247 – GLM – 1960 Europe
34% worked in agric
40% manufacturing
26% service sector

1995
12%
31%
56%

1997 – agriculture comprised less than 4% of GDP
>28% from industry
68% from services** (Table 1.3)

Decline in class-based voting, class-party connections changing

Realignment  or De-alignment?