Partisan affect and political tolerance in the context of shifting norms

Autor(en)

Jochem Vanagt, Katrin Praprotnik, Luana Russo, Markus Wagner

Abstrakt

Mainstream political actors in many countries face the challenging decision of how to engage with radical-right parties. While some systematically exclude them from power, others accept them as coalition partners. This paper examines the consequences of mainstream-right actors signaling their willingness to govern with the radical right. We use survey experiments in Germany, Flanders, Spain, and Austria (N = 5594) to examine the effects of coalition signals on three outcomes: party affect, social distance, and political tolerance. Our results indicate that signaling cooperation is a double-edged sword. While it diminishes mutual dislike between radical-right and center-right supporters, and leads center-right supporters to become more politically tolerant of the radical right, it simultaneously intensifies antipathy from center-left supporters towards the center right. This suggests that potential mainstream cooperation with the radical right serves to shift, rather than reduce, political divisions. Effects are similar across the four cases, with no evidence that an elite-led cordon sanitaire moderates the impact of coalition signals. Our findings help inform debates surrounding the desirability and consequences of engaging with radical-right actors.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Institut für Staatswissenschaft

Externe Organisation(en)

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, University of Antwerp, Department of Public Law and Political Science, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Universitätsklinikum Maastricht

Journal

Journal of European Public Policy

ISSN

1350-1763

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2025.2558980

Publikationsdatum

2025

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

506014 Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Sociology and Political Science, Public administration, Political Science and International Relations

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/fe4e327c-a6ab-4873-93d0-b4add69d6cbf