A Francophone Political Culture?

What does speaking the same language mean for people living in different countries? This paper investigates the political culture of francophones in Belgium, Canada and Switzerland as well as denizens of France herself. It compares their political views and attitudes on a range of issues using different techniques both within countries, vis-à-vis members of the respective linguistic majority (Dutch, English and German), and across countries, among francophones. To do so we draw on an original survey undertaken in late 2020 with a total of 6200 respondents; in Belgium, Canada and Switzerland, equal-sized samples for all the main linguistic communities were drawn. Standard survey questions were used alongside country-specific pick-and-rank political reform options as well as a unique conjoint experiment regarding Covid-19 decision-making. Finally, we theorize and test different explanations for francophone vs. non-francophone differentials regarding political culture, from perceived political minority positions through cultural links to the larger francophone space to religious and socio-economic differences in group composition.