The ‘mainstream’ in contemporary Europe: a bi-dimensional and operationalisable conceptualisation

To cite the article:

Crulli, M., & Albertazzi, D. (2024). The ‘mainstream’ in contemporary Europe: a bi-dimensional and operationalisable conceptualisation. West European Politics, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2024.2359841

The article is open access and can be accessed here.

Abstract

The aim of this article is twofold. Firstly, it offers a new definition of ‘mainstream’. Moving beyond understandings of the concept that focus exclusively on parties’ alternation in power, or their ideology/message, the article’s conceptualisation considers both supply and demand sides of politics. Hence, an attitudinal component to functional definitions is added. This implies that, to be called ‘mainstream’, certain attitudes must be shared by a majority of the public, and there must be no significant differences in their endorsement across political groups. Secondly, consideration is given to whether liberal-, social-democratic, and populist radical right (PRR) parties and attitudes meet this new reconceptualisation. While liberal- and, to a lesser extent, social-democratic parties and attitudes are indeed shown to be ‘mainstream’, the PRR is found to fall outside of the proposed definition, despite being ‘established’ on the supply side. The article concludes by underlining its wider theoretical implications.

Mirko Crulli è assegnista di ricerca presso il Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche della LUISS Guido Carli e PhD candidate presso il Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche dell’Università di Pisa, dov’è anche stato cultore della materia in Sociologia Politica. È stato visiting postgraduate research student presso il Dipartimento di Politics della University of Surrey. I suoi principali interessi di ricerca comprendono la teoria dei cleavages, il comportamento elettorale, il populismo e la destra radicale nell’Europa contemporanea, la geografia politica. Su questi temi ha pubblicato articoli in riviste scientifiche nazionali e internazionali, quali British Journal of Politics and International Relations, European Urban and Regional Studies, European Journal of Cultural and Political Sociology, Contemporary Italian Politics, Italian Journal of Electoral Studies. È membro della Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (SISP) e della Società Italiana Studi Elettorali (SISE). Nel 2021, ha vinto il premio “Celso Ghini” per la migliore tesi di laurea magistrale in materia di studi elettorali, assegnato dalla SISE.