The Normalization of the Radical Right: A Norms Theory of Political Supply and Demand (Oxford Studies in Democratization)
Purchase This Book At:
Description
Radical-right behavior is increasing across Western democracies, often very fast. Previous research has shown, however, that political attitudes and preferences do not change this fast. This book argues that, to understand these patterns, one needs to appreciate the crucial role of social norms as drivers of political behavior. It builds on a norms-based theory of political supply and demand, arguing that growing radical-right behavior is driven by individuals who already held radical-right views, but who did not act on them because they thought that they were socially unacceptable. If these voters do not express their preferences, politicians can underestimate how much latent support there is for radical-right policy. This leaves the radical right with less skilled leaders, who are unable to mobilize even radical-right voters to support them. However, if politicians realize that there is more private support for radical-right policy than is typically observable, they have an incentive to run for election on a radical-right platform and mobilize silent radical-right views. Their electoral success, in turn, makes radical-right individuals become more comfortable showing their views, and impels more politicians to join the radical right. The argument of the book makes us rethink how political preferences translate into behavior, shows how social norms affect the interaction of political supply and demand, and highlights how a political culture that promotes inclusion can erode.
Vicente Valentim is an assistant professor of Political Science at IE University and an Associate Member of Nuffield College at the University of Oxford. He earned his PhD from the European University Institute in 2021. Before joining IE, Vicente was a Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford. He has held visiting positions at Stanford University, the Juan March Institute, and CSIC-IPP. Vicente is interested in comparative politics, political culture, and political behavior. Concretely, his work studies how democracies generate norms against behavior associated with authoritarianism, how those norms are sustained, and how they erode. Vicente’s work has been published or accepted in journals like the Journal of Politics (twice), British Journal of Political Science (twice), or Comparative Political Studies (twice). Among other awards, it has won the Jean Blondel Prize for best thesis written in an ECPR-member institution.