Congruence, Anti-Establishment and Populism

Abstract

This panel brings together papers addressing the relationship between two highly topical research themes, namely ideological congruence and populism. Detailed empirical analyses are presented on changes of congruence over time, populist attitudes, and related aspects, drawing on a wide range of sources including surveys of election candidates and elected representatives, expert surveys, party manifesto and election study data. Among the questions covered are the following: Has policy congruence between voters and their representatives changed over time, with what effects? How can we best measure populist attitudes and analyse the degree of congruence in populist ideology between parties and voters? What are the effects of party defections on the links between MPs and their parties? Overall, the panel will provide important results to evaluate the importance of congruence studies for the explanation of political polarisation and the rise of populist parties.