Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T03:00:45.217Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Individual- and party-level determinants of far-right support among women in Western Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2020

Trevor J. Allen*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, USA
Sara Wallace Goodman
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
*

Abstract

Support for Western Europe’s far-right is majority-male. However, given the sweeping success of the party family, literature on this ‘gender gap’ belies support given to the radical right by millions of women. We examine differences between men and women’s support for far-right parties, focusing on workplace experience, positions on economic and cultural issues, and features of far-right parties themselves. We find that the received scholarship on blue-collar support for far-right populists is a largely male phenomenon, and women in routine nonmanual (i.e. service, sales, and clerical) work are more likely than those in blue-collar work to support the far-right. Moreover, while men who support the far-right tend to be conservative on other moral issues, certain liberal positions predict far-right support among women, at both the voter and party level. Our analysis suggests that gender differences may obscure the socio-structural and attitudinal bases of support for far-right parties and have broader implications for comparative political behavior and gender and politics.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Consortium for Political Research

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abendschön, S. and Steinmetz, S. (2014), ‘The gender gap in voting revisited: Women’s party preferences in a European context’, Social Politics 21(2): 315344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akkerman, T. (2015), ‘Gender and the radical right in Western Europe: a comparative analysis of policy agendas’, Patterns of Prejudice 49(1–2): 3760.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, T.J. (2017), ‘Exit to the right? Comparing far right voters and abstainers in Western Europe’, Electoral Studies 50: 103115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alonso, S. and Rovira Kaltwasser, C. (2015), ‘Spain: No country for the populist radical right?’, South European Society and Politics 20(1): 2145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Art, D. (2011), Inside the radical right: The development of anti-immigrant parties in Western Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arzheimer, K. (2009), ‘Contextual factors and the extreme right vote in Western Europe, 1980–2002’, American Journal of Political Science 53(2): 259275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arzheimer, K. and Carter, E. (2006), ‘Political opportunity structures and right-wing extremist party success’, European Journal of Political Research 45(3): 419443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arzheimer, K. and Carter, E. (2009), ‘Christian religiosity and voting for west european radical right parties’, West European Politics 32(5): 9851011.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Betz, H.G. (1994), Radical right-wing populism in Western Europe, New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bohman, A. and Hjerm, M. (2016), ‘In the wake of radical right electoral success: a cross-country comparative study of anti-immigration attitudes over time’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 42(11): 17291747.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bornschier, S. (2010), Cleavage Politics and the Populist Right. The New Cultural Conflict in Western Europe, Philadelphia: Temple University Press.Google Scholar
Campbell, R. and Erzeel, S. (2018), ‘Exploring gender differences in support for rightist parties: the role of party and gender ideology’, Politics and Gender 14(1): 80105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Careja, R., Elmelund-Præstekær, C., Baggesen Klitgaard, M. and Larsen, E.G. (2016), ‘Direct and indirect welfare chauvinism as party strategies: an analysis of the Danish people’s party’, Scandinavian Political Studies 39(4): 435457.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Celis, K. and Childs, S. (2014), Gender, Conservatism and Political Representation, Colchester: Ecpr Press.Google Scholar
Coffé, H. (2013). Gender, Class, and Radical Right Voting, Rydgren, J. (ed.), London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Coffé, H. (2019), ‘Gender, gendered personality traits and radical right populist voting’, Politics 39(2): 170185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conover, P.J. (1988), ‘Feminists and the Gender Gap’, The Journal of Politics 50(4): 9851010.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalton, R.J. (2017), ‘Party representation across multiple issue dimensions’, Party Politics 23(6): 609622.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalton, R.J. and McAllister, I. (2015), ‘Random walk or planned excursion? Continuity and change in the left–right positions of political parties’, Comparative Political Studies 48(6): 759787.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Geus, R.A. and Shorrocks, R. (2020), ‘Where do female conservatives stand? A cross-national analysis of the issue positions and ideological placement of female right-wing candidates’, Journal of Women, Politics & Policy 41(1): 735.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Lange, S.L. (2007), ‘A new winning formula?: The programmatic appeal of the radical right’, Party Politics 13(4): 411435.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellinas, A.A. (2020), Organizing Against Democracy: The Local Organizational Development of Far Right Parties in Greece and Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ennser, L. (2012), ‘The homogeneity of West European party families: The radical right in comparative perspective’, Party Politics 18(2): 151171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erzeel, S. and Celis, K. (2016), ‘Political parties, ideology and the substantive representation of women’, Party Politics 22(5): 576586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ford, R. and Goodwin, M.J. (2014), Revolt on the Right: Explaining Support for the Radical Right in Britain, Abington: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Funk, P. and Gathmann, C. (2006), What Women Want: Suffrage, Gender Gaps in Voter Preferences and Government Expenditures, Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network.Google Scholar
Gemenis, K. (2013), ‘What to do (and not to do) with the comparative manifestos project data’, Political Studies 61 323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gest, J. (2016), The New Minority: White Working Class Politics in an Age of Immigration and Inequality, New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Gest, J., Reny, T. and Mayer, J. (2018), ‘Roots of the radical right: nostalgic deprivation in the United States and Britain’, Comparative Political Studies 51(13): 16941719.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gidengil, E., Hennigar, M., Blais, A. and Nevitte, N. (2005), ‘Explaining the gender gap in support for the new right: the case of Canada’, Comparative Political Studies 38(10): 11711195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Givens, T.E. (2004), ‘The radical right gender gap’, Comparative Political Studies 37(1): 3054.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gómez-Reino, M. and Llamazares, I. (2013), ‘The populist radical right and European integration: a comparative analysis of party–voter links’, West European Politics 36(4): 789816.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harteveld, E., Brug, W.V.D., Dahlberg, S. and Kokkonen, A. (2015), ‘The gender gap in populist radical-right voting: examining the demand side in Western and Eastern Europe’, Patterns of Prejudice 49(1–2): 103134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harteveld, E., Dahlberg, S., Kokkonen, A. and Van Der Brug, W. (2019), ‘Gender differences in vote choice: social cues and social harmony as heuristics’, British Journal of Political Science 49(3): 11411161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harteveld, E. and Ivarsflaten, E. (2018), ‘Why women avoid the radical right: internalized norms and party reputations’, British Journal of Political Science 48(2): 369384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ignazi, P. (2003), Extreme Right Parties in Western Europe, Oxford: OUP.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Immerzeel, T., Coffé, H. and van der Lippe, T. (2015), ‘Explaining the gender gap in radical right voting: a cross-national investigation in 12 Western European countries’, Comparative European Politics 13(2): 263286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inglehart, R. and Norris, P. (2000), ‘The developmental theory of the gender gap: women’s and men’s voting behavior in global perspective’, International Political Science Review 21(4): 441463.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ivarsflaten, E. (2008), ‘What unites right-wing populists in Western Europe?: Re-examining grievance mobilization models in seven successful cases’, Comparative Political Studies 41(1): 323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kimmel, M.S. (2018), Healing from Hate: How Young Men Get Into-and Out Of-violent Extremism, Oakland: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitschelt, H. (2007), ‘Growth and persistence of the radical right in postindustrial democracies: advances and challenges in comparative research’, West European Politics 30(5): 11761206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitschelt, H. and McGann, A.J. (1995), The Radical Right in Western Europe: A Comparative Analysis, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
Kittilson, M.C. (2006), Challenging Parties, Changing Parliaments: Women and Elected Office in Contemporary Western Europe, Columbus: Ohio State University Press.Google Scholar
Koch, J.W. (2000), ‘Do citizens apply gender stereotypes to infer candidates’ ideological orientations?’, The Journal of Politics 62(2): 414429.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kriesi, H., Grande, E., Lachat, R., Dolezal, M., Bornschier, S., and Frey, T. (2008). West European Politics in the Age of Globalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 154182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lancaster, C.M. (2020), ‘Not so radical after all: ideological diversity among radical right supporters and its implications’, Political Studies 68(3): 600616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lipset, S.M. (1981). Political Man: The Social Bases of Politics, Expanded edn. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Lubbers, M., Gijsberts, M. and Scheepers, P. (2002), ‘Extreme right-wing voting in Western Europe’, European Journal of Political Research 41(3): 345378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lucassen, G. and Lubbers, M. (2012), ‘Who fears what? Explaining far-right-wing preference in Europe by distinguishing perceived cultural and economic ethnic threats’, Comparative Political Studies 45(5): 547574.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayer, N. (2013), ‘From Jean-Marie to Marine Le Pen: electoral change on the far right’, Parliamentary Affairs 66(1): 160178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mudde, C. (2007). Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe. 1st edn. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Brien, D.Z. (2019), ‘Female leaders and citizens’ perceptions of political parties’, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties 29(4): 465489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oesch, D. (2008). ‘Explaining workers' support for right-wing populist parties in Western Europe: Evidence from Austria, Belgium, France, Norway, and Switzerland’, International Political Science Review 29(3): 349373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rippeyoung, P.L. (2007), ‘When women are right: the influence of gender, work and values on European far-right party support’, International feminist journal of politics 9(3): 379397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rooduijn, M. (2018), ‘What unites the voter bases of populist parties? Comparing the electorates of 15 populist parties’, European Political Science Review 10(3): 351368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Röth, L., Afonso, A. and Spies, D.C. (2018), ‘The impact of Populist Radical Right Parties on socioeconomic policies’, European Political Science Review 10(3): 325350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rovny, J. (2013), ‘Where do radical right parties stand? Position blurring in multidimensional competition’, European Political Science Review 5(1): 126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rydgren, J. (2005), ‘Is extreme right-wing populism contagious? Explaining the emergence of a new party family’, European Journal of Political Research 44(3): 413437.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rydgren, J. (ed.) (2013). Class Politics and the Radical Right. 1st edn. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Rydgren, J., and van Holsteyn, J. (2005). ‘Holland and Pim Fortuyn: a deviant case or the beginning of something new?’, in Rydgren, J. (ed.), Movements of Exclusion: Radical Right-wing Populism in the Western World. Commack, NY: Nova. pp. 4164.Google Scholar
Schumacher, G. and Van Kersbergen, K. (2016), ‘Do mainstream parties adapt to the welfare chauvinism of populist parties?’, Party Politics 22(3): 300312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, J.W. (2009), The Politics of the Veil, Princeton: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shames, S., Och, M. and Cooperman, R. (2020). ‘Sell-outs or warriors for change? A comparative look at rightist, political women in democracies’, Journal of Women Politics & Policy 41(1): 16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spierings, N. and Zaslove, A. (2015), ‘Gendering the vote for populist radical-right parties’, Patterns of Prejudice 49(1–2): 135162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Brug, W., Fennema, M. and Tillie, J. (2000), ‘Anti-immigrant parties in Europe: ideological or protest vote?’, European Journal of Political Research 37(1): 77102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zúquete, J.P. (2008), ‘The European extreme-right and Islam: New directions?’, Journal of Political Ideologies 13(3): 321344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Allen and Goodman supplementary material

Appendix A

Download Allen and Goodman supplementary material(File)
File 18.7 KB
Supplementary material: File

Allen and Goodman supplementary material

Appendix B

Download Allen and Goodman supplementary material(File)
File 19.9 KB
Supplementary material: File

Allen and Goodman supplementary material

Appendix C

Download Allen and Goodman supplementary material(File)
File 18 KB