The Democratic Dimension of Anti-Pluralists? Explaining voters’ perception of democratic actors and institutions

Abstract

The rise of populism and other forms of antipluralist political forces is widely seen as a threat to democracy and democratic institutions. These arguments usually refer to the supply side, i.e., to radical populists and illiberal actors in positions of power who seek to curtail liberal institutions and civil liberties. The case is less clear when it comes to citizens who support populist and other illiberal parties. What are their ideas about democracy? Especially in recent months, supporters of radical parties have taken to the streets, claiming that they are defending liberal rights against overbearing governments that impose corona restrictions. Similarly, populists have long been claimed to favor direct democracy or majoritarian notions of democracy, thus not as inherently anti-democratic. Moreover, populists and anti-pluralist voters also join parties and must have ideas about how they should function in democratic politics. Do these ideas really systematically differ from those of other citizens? To answer these questions, this panel is devoted to the democratic dimension of anti-pluralists and populists. Therefore, the papers presented as part of this panel aim is to explain how anti-pluralist citizens perceive democratic actors and institutions, and to explain the differences that may exist in this perception between citizens in general and citizens who support populist and anti-pluralist parties.

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Do populist voters have anything in common at all? An analysis of voters’ opinions over time	View Paper Details
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