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  4. The New Internationalists: How the Populist Radical Right Drives Support for International Economic Integration

The New Internationalists: How the Populist Radical Right Drives Support for International Economic Integration

File(s)
Obermeier_cornellgrad_0058F_12937.pdf (717.56 KB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/jzcw-jb13
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/112021
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Obermeier, Katharina Emma
Abstract

Populist radical right (PRR) parties have become increasingly electorally successful in Europe over the past decade. These parties frequently campaign on platforms that emphasize their opposition to international economic integration (free trade, European integration, and immigration). At the same time, however, public opinion surveys suggest that Europeans are becoming more supportive of international economic integration. How can we explain these diverging trends? This dissertation argues that the growing popularity of PRR parties produces an increase in support for international economic integration in Western Europe. As PRR parties and their anti-internationalism become more prominent in public discourse, so do their extremist tendencies. Party strategies and media incentives combine to create a growing association between anti-internationalism and right-wing extremism in public discourse. As a result, individuals who reject the extremism associated with PRR parties increasingly adjust their attitudes to become more supportive of international economic integration. Evidence drawn from a cross-national media and survey analysis, an unexpected event during survey design, and elite interviews supports this argument. My research suggests that, under the right political circumstances, the electoral backlash against globalization can be counter-balanced by rising internationalism.

Description
211 pages
Date Issued
2022-08
Keywords
European Union
•
immigration
•
political parties
•
populist radical right
•
public opinion
Committee Chair
Pepinsky, Thomas
Committee Member
Katzenstein, Peter Joachim
Kirshner, Jonathan David
Cirone, Alexandra E.
Degree Discipline
Government
Degree Name
Ph. D., Government
Degree Level
Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Type
dissertation or thesis
Link(s) to Catalog Record
https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/15578832

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