Publication

This paper suggests that the left–right scale corresponds to a curve in a two-dimensional political space rather than to a straight line. Dimensionality is thus ambiguous, which is a situation analogous to Weisberg’s concept of ‘Circleland’. This paper analyses the relations between citizens’ left–right position and issue preferences in five West European countries. The findings strongly support the paper’s hypothesis by showing non-linear relations between voters’ left–right position and issue preferences.