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Striking a balance: parties and government debt in an age of change. A comparative analysis of mainstream parties in advanced Western democracies

Borisch, Victor LU (2025) STVM25 20251
Department of Political Science
Abstract
In recent decades, internal and external circumstances have increased the pressure on European states and the United States to act in response to such circumstances. The return of war on the European continent, shifting trade relations, climate change and its devasting effects on society and an aging population are all putting pressure on public finances. The aim of this study is to investigate the tension between this pressure and party economic policy, concerning government debt. Guiding the thesis is a theoretical framework of policy congruence and issue ownership. The study’s comparative research design enabled collection of data from 26 election manifestos, sourced from 13 different parties across four distinct political contexts and... (More)
In recent decades, internal and external circumstances have increased the pressure on European states and the United States to act in response to such circumstances. The return of war on the European continent, shifting trade relations, climate change and its devasting effects on society and an aging population are all putting pressure on public finances. The aim of this study is to investigate the tension between this pressure and party economic policy, concerning government debt. Guiding the thesis is a theoretical framework of policy congruence and issue ownership. The study’s comparative research design enabled collection of data from 26 election manifestos, sourced from 13 different parties across four distinct political contexts and two time intervals. The methodology, founded on intersubjectivity, allowed the thesis to develop a novel measurement for economic policy, the Enhanced Economic Orthodoxy Index (EEOI), which incorporates government debt policy into an existing code sourced from the Election Manifesto Project (EMP). The thesis finds that although government debt policy presence among the parties remained stable, changes in the economic policy, particularly among left parties, could be detected. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Borisch, Victor LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM25 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
economic policy, government debt, mainstream parties, election manifestos, comparative content analysis
language
English
id
9189704
date added to LUP
2025-08-08 11:32:07
date last changed
2025-08-08 11:32:07
@misc{9189704,
  abstract     = {{In recent decades, internal and external circumstances have increased the pressure on European states and the United States to act in response to such circumstances. The return of war on the European continent, shifting trade relations, climate change and its devasting effects on society and an aging population are all putting pressure on public finances. The aim of this study is to investigate the tension between this pressure and party economic policy, concerning government debt. Guiding the thesis is a theoretical framework of policy congruence and issue ownership. The study’s comparative research design enabled collection of data from 26 election manifestos, sourced from 13 different parties across four distinct political contexts and two time intervals. The methodology, founded on intersubjectivity, allowed the thesis to develop a novel measurement for economic policy, the Enhanced Economic Orthodoxy Index (EEOI), which incorporates government debt policy into an existing code sourced from the Election Manifesto Project (EMP). The thesis finds that although government debt policy presence among the parties remained stable, changes in the economic policy, particularly among left parties, could be detected.}},
  author       = {{Borisch, Victor}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Striking a balance: parties and government debt in an age of change. A comparative analysis of mainstream parties in advanced Western democracies}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}