Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2023
Abstract
This article offers an alternative approach to measuring the distance between parties. It is aimed to introduce the Manhattan metric and hierarchical cluster analysis.
These analytical tools measure differences based on parties’ voting in parliament rather than ideological distance (polarisation). Through these tools, I delineate distances between parties in the Czech Republic after 2017 and reflect on the purpose of pre-electoral ‘anti-Babiš’ coalitions emerging in October 2020.
The analysis shows that incentives to form alliances were primarily strategic rather than a sign of any pre-existing trend towards cooperation in parliament.