The Changing Basis of Political Conflict in Advanced Western Democracies

"In this new book, Arwine and Mayer provide an insightful and well-informed analysis of how the basis of political conflict has been changing in the U.S. and other advanced industrial societies. Fifty or sixty years ago, people's political loyalties largely reflected their social class and religious denomination. Today how people vote is more strongly shaped by cultural and ethnic differences, with sharp disagreements over such issues as same-sex marriage, abortion rights and immigration. This book helps us understand why, although income inequality has risen sharply in recent decades, efforts to offset this trend have been surprisingly weak." - Ronald Inglehart, Lowenstein Professor of Political Science and Research Professor at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, USA