Social Democracy and the Urban Scene: Party Responses to the Diversifying Centre-Left

(Hardback)

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Social democratic parties struggle to appeal to a divided electorate. Particularly prescient is the clash between working-class voters thatare socially conservative and middle-class voters who are liberally inclined but economicallyleft. Are politics and policies that appeal to both even a possibility Nowhere is thatdebate more acute than in European cities, yet in no other political space are answers more likely to be found.Where urban voters turn left, they are increasingly attracted by radical and green alternatives to social democracy.Social democracy and urban politicsdelves into the changing relationship between these three party families on the urban scene. Mapping electoral geography, governing strategies and the interface between parties and social movements on the left, the authors reflect upon the formation and dilemmas of a broader progressive alliance.

Author Bio

Nik. Brandal is Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Science and International Relations, Oslo New University College.
ivind Bratberg is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Oslo.