How do established voters react to new parties? The case of Italy, 1985-2008

► We formulate expectations about how established voters react to new parties. ► We use data from Italian national election studies 1985-2008 to test them. ► New party systems cause confusion as to where parties stand in left-right terms. ► This makes it difficult for voters to make their choices based on ideological cues. ► The confusion is greatest among the oldest cohorts, who are significantly debilitated.