Hermann Schmitt, Wouter van der Brug
Class, religion and the vote in Europe

Helsinki
,
ECPR Joint Sessions
,
2007

The impact of class and religion on voting behaviour is assessed for the 2004 member countries of the EU. The paper shows three things: 1. While the effect of class and religion is weak everywhere, other social characteristics have become politicised. 2. This is so in the consolidated democratic systems of Western Europe but not in the East. 3. Where social effects are weak altogether, political factors step in and help explain vote choices.