Cleavage Theory: Where Should the Cursor Be Placed, and to What End?

Starting from the theory of cleavages of Lipset and Rokkan as well as other studies extending these researchers? major theoretical contributions, this paper proposes to deepen the complementary concepts of political cleavage and social identity. However, the requirements and sustainability of the four-cleavage model, which represents the articulation between party structures and the structures of the cleavages themselves, are also at the heart of this paper. The author calls for this theory to be reinforced through Tilly?s resolutely dialectic approach to social identities as well as proposals by Blondel on the personalization of power for the formation and dynamics of political parties. This should contribute to determining where the cursor should be placed between the specificity of reality and comparative theory as part of strengthened interdisciplinarity.