A törésvonal fogalma a politikatudományban
The Concept of Cleavages in Political Science

Summary/Abstract: “Cleavage” is one of the most frequently used expressions in political science, however, the word does not have a widely accepted meaning. This article wishes to contribute to the cleavage literature by the creation of an own definition. In the first part of the study I reviewed the cleavage-theory and tried to distinguish the different approaches regarding their logic, definition, and their connection to voting behavior. In the second half I analyzed the most important articles and on that ground introduced my own concept. I preferred to approach the problem from two perspectives, proceeding from upwards – from the voters – and downwards – from the elites’ level – simultaneously. Adopting the framework of Bartolini and Mair, I employed a definition containing three elements: an empirical, a normative and an organizational one. I modified their original concept, however, and used different methods to examine the normative and organizational elements, because it is not in accordance with the present structure of a modern society.

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