Turkey’s republican people’s party (CHP): a longue durée analysis
Date
2022-09-14Source Title
Turkish Studies
Electronic ISSN
1743-9663
Publisher
Routledge
Volume
24
Issue
2
Pages
205 - 230
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
This article employs regressive and spatial analyses to understand the correlates of the CHP’s electoral support from the first competitive elections in 1950 to the present. We find that despite some continuities in its constituency, the CHP’s voter base has changed significantly with regards to key political and social dynamics such as the Kurdish vote, effective number of parties, and urbanization. The findings give credence to the role of political leadership as well as the evolutionary capability of the party, both of which can have important implications regarding the future electoral trajectory of the party and of Turkey’s political regime.
Keywords
Republican people’s party (CHP)Turkish politics
Political parties
Democratization
Center–periphery cleavage
Secular-religious cleavage