Comparative Political Parties Dataset

Data source: Duane Swank

The dataset captures characteristics of political parties in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Greece, Portugal, and Spain between 1950 to 2011.

This dataset uses the following categories for parties: Left: communist; socialist, social democratic, and labor; and other various left-wing parties (e.g., left-libertarian parties); Right: far-right (e.g., neo-fascist, right-wing populist), classical liberal, Conservative Christian Democratic, and other various right-wing parties; Centrist Christian Democratic (Centrist CD): non-conservative Catholic parties; Secular Center (Secular Cent): non-catholic parties of the center. The data set also includes a total Christian Democratic party category and all variables for Radical Right-Wing Populist and Left-Libertarian parties.

Dataset type
Time-Series
Dataset level
Country
Last updated by source
2019-02-01

Citation

When using this dataset, please cite as:

• Swank, D. (2018). Comparative political parties dataset: Electoral, legislative, and government strength of political parties by ideological group in 21 capitalist democracies, 1950-2015. Electronic Database, Department of Political Science, Marquette University. http://www.marquette.edu/polisci/faculty_swank.shtml

Variables in this dataset

Browse variables and select them for download.

Centrist Christian Democratic cabinet portfolios as a percent of all cabinet portfolios.

Total Christian Democratic party cabinet portfolios as a percent of all cabinet net portfolios.

Center party cabinet portfolios as a percent of all portfolios.

Left party cabinet portfolios as a percent of all cabinet portfolios.

Percentage of cabinet portfolios in national government held by left libertarian (''new left'') parties.

Right party cabinet portfolios as a percent of all cabinet portfolios.

Percentage of cabinet portfolios in national government held by right-wing populist parties.

Election Year
QoG code: sw_ey

Election Year. Dummy variable coded 1 for years in which elections occurred; otherwise, 0.

Centrist Christian Democratic governing party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Total Christian Democratic governing party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Center governing party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Left governing party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Left libertarian governing party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Right governing party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Right-wing populist governing party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Centrist Christian Democratic party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Total Christian Democratic party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Center party seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Left party legislative seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Percentage of seats (lower chamber) for left-libertarian parties and various miscellaneous works.

Right party legislative seats as a percent of all legislative seats.

Percentage of seats in lower chamber of national parliament held by right wing populist parties.

Centrist Christian Democratic party votes as a percent of all votes.

Total Christian Democratic party votes as a percent of all votes.

Votes: Center
QoG code: sw_vce

Center party votes as a percent of all votes.

Votes: Left
QoG code: sw_vl

Left party votes as a percent of total votes.

Votes: Left-Libertarian
QoG code: sw_vll

Percentage of votes (lower chamber) for left-libertarian parties.

Votes: Right
QoG code: sw_vr

Right party votes as a percent of total votes.

Percentage of national vote for right-wing populist parties in elections to lower chamber.