The Political System and its Special Features

Abstract

To be able to analyse the party programmes in a systematic fashion, it is necessary to introduce some contextual elements that make parties’ positions on individual issues understandable. Respectively, it is essential to understand how separate issues are related to each other as well as to the underpinnings of a party ideology. Furthermore, if any generalizations are to be made, proper conceptual tools need to be put in place. The first step in sketching the context of economic policy is to outline the structure of party competition in Latvia. A dimensional analysis focusing on the configuration of political cleavages is helpful in this task.