Changing Policies, Polarisation and the Rise of Radical Right Populism

Abstract

In the context of the recent economic and migration crises, many European countries have experienced rising support for radical right populist parties, illustrating the appeal of populism. However, most studies to date do not examine how public policies, in particular the welfare state, affect these political processes. This panel seeks to redress this relative neglect. The first paper by Anne-Marie Parth (Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg) investigates whether the welfare state produces ‘angry white men’. Next, Evelyne Hübscher (Central European University), Markus Wagner (University of Vienna) and Thomas Sattler (University of Geneva) explore whether austerity brings about political polarisation. Third, Daphne Halikiopoulou (University of Reading) and Tim Vlandas (University of Oxford) test the extent to which social policies mitigate the effect of social insecurity on far right party support. Finally, Guido Ropers (Universität Mannheim) shifts the focus to the electoral effects of regional policies. Taken together these papers advance our understanding the role of policies in shaping support for radical right wing populist parties.