Search results

Abstract. Time series regression analysis is used to test the existence of a relationship between public expenditure priorities and changes in party programme emphases in the Fifth Republic. The analysis shows that the sensitivity of public expenditures to changes in party programme content is rarely affected by party control of the executive. Instead public expenditures in several spending areas are positively linked to the programme content of one and the same party irrespective of whether that party occupies the executive or not. In other spending areas, the programme of the opposition best predicts government expenditure priorities. These findings challenge the assumption in democratic theory that the party winning elections ought to enact policies that reflect the preferences of the electorate.

Abstract. In his comment on our work, Ray misinterprets our conclusions and contradicts himself on the issue of working class authoritarianism. His suggestion that the directiveness scale measures authoritarianism must be seriously questioned. His methods of validation of this concept are insufficient. The Adorno et al. F‐scale has been shown to be a potential fascism scale (Meloen et al., 1988), whereas there is no such evidence for Ray's directiveness scale. Suggestions are offered that may clarify the controversy around Lipset's thesis on working class authoritarianism.