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SOURCES OF POWER

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BELIEFS AND VALUES

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

POLITICAL FRAMEWORK

 

The French are intensely proud of their nation and its history, but they also have a strong mistrust of their government. Their political spectrum includes ideological Communists on the left, and reactionary supporters of the National Front on the right. Yet French voters have little loyalty to their political parties, and change their voting patterns from election to election. The French electorate are deeply affected by their conflictual political culture, and their political opinions and voter behavior often appear to be contradictory.