Previous studies found that economic ideology is consistent among EU parties, but questioned the comparability of socio-cultural views. A novel approach using anchoring vignettes from a new dataset offers solutions.

Data & Methods:

• Survey Technique: The 2014 Chapel Hill Expert Survey included anchoring vignettes ("bridge votes") to compare party positions across countries.
• Analysis Method: Bayesian Aldrich-McKelvey technique used to estimate interval-level scales for socio-cultural and European integration dimensions.

Key Findings:

✅ Scales successfully measure both socio-cultural stance and EU position, despite country-specific variations in core issues.

✅ Positions are quantifiable at an interval level across all participating nations.

Why It Matters:

This breakthrough technique allows for systematic cross-national analysis of complex ideological dimensions previously difficult to compare.