2.4 Policy dimensions The CHES data has the advantage that it allows us to disaggregate our observations even further. Rather than look at more general left-right positions like we did in the Figures 3-7, we can also examine specific policy areas of the different party families under consideration. This is exactly what we do in this section. Figures 8 and 9 present us with more detailed insights into the economic policy positions of the five party families under consideration. They highlight the extent to which party families prioritise improving public services and want to reduce taxes and redistribution from the rich to the poor. The common expectation is that left-wing parties are more favourable of expanded welfare states and redistribution, whereas right-wing parties are more amenable to lower taxes and less state intervention. For all intents and purposes, this is exactly what we see in Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8. Improving public services versus reducing taxes. Position of the party, favouring improving public services (0) to favouring reducing taxes (10) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 199 2 8 00 2 0 00 2 2 00 2 4 00 2 6 00 2 8 01 2 0 01 2 2 01 2 4 01 2 6 01 2 8 020 Social democrats Liberals Christian democrats Conservatives Populist radical right Figure 8 illustrates that social democratic parties are much more favourable to improving public services and expanding the welfare state compared to their right-wing counterparts. By contrast, all right-wing parties are more favourable to reducing taxes and the corresponding welfare state. Here, conservative parties have relatively strong preferences for reducing taxes over improving public services, while the positions of liberal, Christian democratic and populist radical right parties remain more moderate. Even though there is a clear, yet unsurprising, difference between left- and right-wing parties, we notice that stability once again is the key 30 The transformation of the mainstream right and its impact on(social) democracy