The own dynamics to one dimensionality of party competitions: a simulation study

Authored by Susumu Shikano

Date Published: 2008-06

DOI: 10.1007/s11615-008-0098-x

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: Repast

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

While German ideological space is often characterized with two dimensions, empirical estimation demonstrates that party positions can be placed on a uni-dimensional scale. This seems to be inconsistent with conventional spatial models of party competition, since parties should, accordingly, exhaust the two-dimensional space to maximize their votes. This paper suggests an alternative spatial model which adjusts or removes some restrictive assumptions of the conventional models. Most importantly, the model suggested here allows parties to influence the salience and (non-)separability of both dimensions at voters' decision processes. The simulation results demonstrate that the vote-maximizing parties can coordinate themselves in favor of inequality of the salience or non- separability of both dimensions. This, in turn, leads to a certain level of unidimensionality of party positions.

Tags

Agent-based modelling Simulation Salience party competition Separability