Radical Right
Voters and Parties in the Electoral Market

This book, first published in 2005, explains why radical right parties have advanced in a diverse array of democracies.

Pippa Norris (Author)

9780521849142, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 August 2005

366 pages, 23 b/w illus. 31 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.71 kg

“Norris, an eminent Harvard expert in comparative democracy, explores why radical right-wing parties have enjoyed sustained success in some nations since 1990. Meticulously employing public opinion and election data, she dissects the experience of radical Right political movements in over two dozen nations. Balanced, careful, and thoughtful, Norris rejects “more lurid” claims about the radical Right. Highly recommended.”
Choice

During recent decades, radical right parties have been surging in popularity in many nations, gaining legislative seats, enjoying the legitimacy endowed by ministerial office, and striding the corridors of government power. The popularity of leaders such as Le Pen, Haider, and Fortuyn has aroused widespread popular concern and a burgeoning scholarly literature. Despite the interest, little consensus has emerged about the primary factors driving this phenomenon. The puzzle is to explain why radical right parties have advanced in a diverse array of democracies - including in Austria, Canada, Norway, France, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Russia, and Chile - while failing to make comparable gains in similar societies elsewhere, such as in Sweden, Britain, and the United States. This book, first published in 2005, expands our understanding of support for radical right parties through presenting an integrated new theory which is then tested systematically using a wealth of cross-national survey evidence covering almost forty countries.

Part I. Understanding the Radical Right: 1. Understanding the rise of the radical right
2. Classifying the radical right
3. Comparing parties
Part II. The Regulated Marketplace: 4. Ballot access and campaign finance
5. Electoral systems
Part III. Electoral Demand: 6. The 'new cleavage' thesis: the social basis of support
7. 'None of the above': the politics of resentment
8. 'Us and them': immigration, multiculturalism, and xenophobia
Part IV. Party Supply: 9. Location, location, location: party competition
10. Consolidating party organizations
Part V. Consequences: 11. Assessing the rise of the radical right and its consequences.

Subject Areas: Political parties [JPL], Comparative politics [JPB]