Disentangling the Support for Left and Right Populism

Abstract

Do left and right forms of populism profit from similar or from different opportunity structures? On the supply side, the two variants embrace both diverse ideological characteristics in terms of their socio-cultural positions as well as they display similarity considering their populist and, in some cases, their socio-economic stances. On the demand side, former supporters of socialist and social democratic parties—industrial workers and non-workers—represent the core voters of some major populist right parties. Considering issues and attitudes of their electorate, both left and right populists seem to benefit from consequences of political, economic and cultural modernization processes: apart from ideological disparities, left and right wing populism might appeal to social alienation, fear of descend, and disenchantment with politics and parties in general. However, the extent to which at the demand side, left and right populists might have more in common than one might expect at first glance, requires detailed analyses. The aim of this Panel is thus to dissolve the complex relationship of the support for right and for left populism. Focusing on different regions and cases, the presentations shall address various aspects of the problem, such as the importance of economic attitudes, support for direct democracy, Euroscepticism, and the role of party systems.