The Rationale behind Exclusive Solidarity: Explaining Radical Right Parties’ Support for the Welfare State

Recent research suggests that redistribution became an increasingly salient issue in the agendas of most - but not all - radical right parties in Western Europe. These parties try to mobilize voters on the issue of redistribution by advocating pro-welfare positions within an anti-immigration frame, that is, a concept of exclusive solidarity. We explain variation in the extent to which welfare state expansion becomes important for radical right parties over time and across Western Europe. We test the proposition that the driving force behind this process is the proportion of people among their supporters, who benefit most from social services and are most supportive of redistribution (e.g. blue-collar workers). In addition, we examine under which conditions this relationship is stronger; more specifically, we investigate the role played by the welfare regime and electoral rules, the size of the radical right in the party system and its participation in the government.