Table 7.
List of dimensions considered to construct the composite indicator on right-left orientation RILE (used in the IV strategy)
| Dimensions that positively contribute to RILE index (right-oriented policy manifesto) | Dimensions that negatively contribute to RILE index (left-oriented policy manifesto) |
|---|---|
|
Military: positive The importance of external security and defence. May include statements concerning: • The need to maintain or increase military expenditure; • The need to secure adequate manpower in the military; • The need to modernise armed forces and improve military; • Strength; • The need for rearmament and self-defence; • The need to keep military treaty obligations Freedom and human rights Favourable mentions of importance of personal freedom and civil rights in the manifesto and other countries. May include mentions of: • The right to the freedom of speech, press, assembly etc.; • Freedom from state coercion in the political and economic spheres; • Freedom from bureaucratic control; • The idea of individualism Constitutionalism: positive Support for maintaining the status quo of the constitution. Support for specific aspects of the manifesto country’s constitution. The use of constitutionalism as an argument for any policy Political authority References to the manifesto party’s competence to govern and/or other party’s lack of such competence. Also includes favourable mentions of the desirability of a strong and/or stable government in general Free market economy Favourable mentions of the free market and free market capitalism as an economic model. May include favourable references to: • Laissez-faire economy; • Superiority of individual enterprise over state and control systems; • Private property rights; • Personal enterprise and initiative; • Need for unhampered individual enterprises Incentives: Positive Favourable mentions of supply side oriented economic policies (assistance to businesses rather than consumers). May include: • Financial and other incentives such as subsidies, tax breaks etc.; • Wage and tax policies to induce enterprise; • Encouragement to start enterprises Protectionism: negative Support for the concept of free trade and open markets. Call for abolishing all means of market protection (in the manifesto or any other country) Economic Orthodoxy Need for economically healthy government policy making. May include calls for: • Reduction of budget deficits; • Retrenchment in crisis; • Thrift and savings in the face of economic hardship; • Support for traditional economic institutions such as stock market • and banking system; • Support for strong currency |
Anti-imperialism Negative references to imperial behaviour and/or negative references to one state exerting strong influence (political, military or commercial) over other states. May also include: • Negative references to controlling other countries as if they were part of an empire; • Favourable references to greater self-government and independence for colonies; • Favourable mentions of de-colonisation Military: negative Negative references to the military or use of military power to solve conflicts. References to the ‘evils of war’. May include references to: • Decreasing military expenditures; • Disarmament; • Reduced or abolished conscription Peace Any declaration of belief in peace and peaceful means of solving crises– absent reference to the military. May include: • Peace as a general goal; • Desirability of countries joining in negotiations with hostile countries; • Ending wars in order to establish peace Internationalism: Positive Need for international co-operation. May also include references to the: • Need for aid to developing countries; • Need for world planning of resources; • Support for global governance; • Need for international courts; • Support for UN or other international organisations Democracy Favourable mentions of democracy as the “only game in town”. General support for the manifesto country’s democracy. May also include: • Democracy as method or goal in national, international or other organisations (e.g. labour unions, political parties etc.); • The need for the involvement of all citizens in political decisionmaking; • Support for either direct or representative democracy; • Support for parts of democratic regimes (rule of law, division of powers, independence of courts etc.) Market regulation Support for policies designed to create a fair and open economic market May include: • Calls for increased consumer protection; • Increasing economic competition by preventing monopolies and other actions disrupting the functioning of the market; • Defence of small businesses against disruptive powers of big businesses; • Social market economy Economic Planning Favourable mentions of long-standing economic planning by the government. May be: • Policy plans, strategies, policy patterns etc.; • Of a consultative or indicative nature |
|
Welfare state limitation Limiting state expenditures on social services or social security. Favourable mentions of the social subsidiary principle (i.e. private care before state care); National way of life: positive Favourable mentions of the manifesto country’s nation, history, and general appeals. May include: • Support for established national ideas; • General appeals to pride of citizenship; • Appeals to patriotism; • Appeals to nationalism; • Suspension of some freedoms in order to protect the state against subversion Traditional morality: positive Favourable mentions of traditional and/or religious moral values. May include: • Prohibition, censorship and suppression of immorality and unseemly behaviour; • Maintenance and stability of the traditional family as a value; • Support for the role of religious institutions in state and society Law and Order: Positive Favourable mentions of strict law enforcement, and tougher actions against domestic crime. Only refers to the enforcement of the status quo of the manifesto country’s law code. May include: • Increasing support and resources for the police; • Tougher attitudes in courts; • Importance of internal security Civic mindedness: positive Appeals for national solidarity and the need for society to see itself as united. Calls for solidarity with and help for fellow people, familiar and unfamiliar. May include: • Favourable mention of the civil society; • Decrying anti-social attitudes in times of crisis; • Appeal for public spiritedness; • Support for the public interest |
Protectionism: Positive Favourable mentions of extending or maintaining the protection of internal markets (by the manifesto or other countries). Measures may include: • Tariffs; • Quota restrictions; • Export subsidies Controlled economy Support for direct government control of economy. May include, for instance: • Control over prices; • Introduction of minimum wages Nationalisation Favourable mentions of government ownership of industries, either partial or complete; calls for keeping nationalised industries in state hand or nationalising currently private industries. May also include favourable mentions of government ownership of land Welfare State Expansion Favourable mentions of need to introduce, maintain or expand any public social service or social security scheme. This includes, for example, government funding of: • Health care; • Child care; • Elder care and pensions; • Social housing Education expansion Need to expand and/or improve educational provision at all levels Labour groups: positive Favourable references to all labour groups, the working class, and unemployed workers in general. Support for trade unions and calls for the good treatment of all employees, including: • More jobs; • Good working conditions; • Fair wages; • Pension provisions etc |