Conclusion

Abstract Chapter 9 concludes the book with an overview of its findings and their implications for electoral politics, liberal parties, and liberalism. It begins with a recapitulation of each chapter in turn. It then moves on to discuss the ‘asymmetrical realignment’ highlighted by this study, and how this contributes to scholarly understanding of West European electoral politics and, more generally, the circumstances under which parts of the electorate deviate from spatial voting. However, I also suggest that some potential remains for social liberals to make gains among market cosmopolitans in the coming years, through generational replacement and political shocks, though I note that liberals must also improve their valence images to fully benefit from these developments. The chapter concludes with a brief normative discussion of social liberals’ electoral potential, noting the dangers of a policy platform designed to appeal to society’s most affluent and educated members, which may be perceived as elitist.