Measuring Political Ideology: Validity Evidence for a Two-Factor Model

Abstract

In the context of far-right shifts in multiple democratic nations, multidimensional measures of political ideology have steadily gained traction in political science and psychology. However, these models have seldom been studied in the crisis-ridden context of young democracies. In this study, we assess the reliability and internal and external validities of a two-factor (Economic and Cultural) political ideology measure based on attitudes towards specific political issues. Throughout the analyses, we find consistent evidence across studies that support measure reliability and validity, as well as significant correlations between both ideological factors, personal values, unidimensional political ideology, and voting intentions. Results sustained the relative independence of each factor, indicating that political ideology for each factor is not necessarily harmonious throughout multiple sociopolitical issues. Furthermore, we provide tentative evidence that both factors differentially correlate with right- and left-wing voters, suggesting possible variations in factor relevance in different political groups. We conclude that the measure showed satisfactory evidence of reliability and validity, and that it further demonstrates the advantages of a multidimensional model in understanding the complexities of political ideology.