Beyond the study of the issues that are considered as a priority, another interesting aspect of the survey conducted by the CISE (Italian Center for Electoral Studies) in view of the next UK general election, refers to the support accorded by voters to 18 positional issues, selected in cooperation with a team of British researchers. Specifically, each respondent was asked to position himself on a 6-point scale where the points 1 and 6 represent the two rival goals to be pursued on a given issue. Looking at the configuration of voters’ support for the different issues will allow us...

In view of the next general election in Britain, to be held next 8th June, the CISE (Italian Center for Electoral Studies) has conducted a CAWI survey on the adult British population. Similarly to what we have recently done before the Dutch parliamentary election last March and the French Presidential election last April, British respondents were asked to express their support on 18 positional issues (divisive issues that refer to two rival goals, e.g. public spending vs. tax cuts). Specifically, each respondent was asked to position himself/herself on a 6-point scale where the points 1 and 6 represent the...

(English translation by Elisabetta Mannoni) Matteo Renzi won the primaries of the Democratic Party, with an outstanding result (70%) with respect to his two adversaries, the current Minister of Justice Andrea Orlando (19,5%) and the governor of Apulia Michele Emiliano (10,5%). A wide gap between the first and the second (50,5 percentage points), yet coherent with the gap registered in the previous primaries, between Renzi and Gianni Cuperlo (49,8). We can then confirm on the electorate what had already emerged in the vote by party members, held a few weeks ago: a dominant ex-Prime Minister over the other main competitors and a...

The decision by Theresa May to call a snap election has gone against her. Despite remaining the largest party in Westminster, the Conservatives have fallen short of an absolute majority of seats, and a hung Parliament is the outcome of this election. Jeremy Corbyn has brought the Labour Party to 40% of the votes, the largest result since 2001. In a context characterised by the highest turnout since 1997 (69%), a massive shift back towards a two-party system has occurred: the UKIP has collapsed, the SNP has stepped back, and the Liberal Democrats have not bounced back after the...

di Roberto D'Alimonte Articolo pubblicato sul Financial Times il 14 febbraio 2013 Can Silvio Berlusconi do it? A few weeks ago the prospect that  Italy's  former prime minister  would stage a comeback was laughable.  Now, with less than two weeks to go before polling day, it may be the media magnate  and playboy former premier  who has the last  laugh.  The last  opinion polls published  before an official blackout period point to a closer race than many expected: the gap between Pier Luigi Bersani's  left-of-centre coalition  and Mr Berlusconi's  right­ of-centre alliance  has  narrowed  to 5-6 percentage  points. In most western...