{"title":"Life Dissatisfaction and the Right-Wing Populist Vote: Evidence from the European Social Survey","authors":"Annika Lindholm, Georg Lutz, Eva G. T. Green","doi":"10.1177/00027642241240334","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This study identifies life dissatisfaction and related political attitudes as predictors of right-wing populist voting in Europe. Using survey data from 14 countries (2012–2018, N = 54,263), we find that life dissatisfaction links to negative attitudes on immigration and, in many countries, also to political distrust, and relates through these attitudes to a right-wing populist vote. By proposing a well-being framework to explain right-wing populist demand, we broaden the focus of discontent taken in previous research on psychological antecedents of populism. We suggest that low subjective well-being among the electorate has political relevance and could become a threat to the future of liberal democracy.","PeriodicalId":48360,"journal":{"name":"American Behavioral Scientist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Behavioral Scientist","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642241240334","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
This study identifies life dissatisfaction and related political attitudes as predictors of right-wing populist voting in Europe. Using survey data from 14 countries (2012–2018, N = 54,263), we find that life dissatisfaction links to negative attitudes on immigration and, in many countries, also to political distrust, and relates through these attitudes to a right-wing populist vote. By proposing a well-being framework to explain right-wing populist demand, we broaden the focus of discontent taken in previous research on psychological antecedents of populism. We suggest that low subjective well-being among the electorate has political relevance and could become a threat to the future of liberal democracy.
期刊介绍:
American Behavioral Scientist has been a valuable source of information for scholars, researchers, professionals, and students, providing in-depth perspectives on intriguing contemporary topics throughout the social and behavioral sciences. Each issue offers comprehensive analysis of a single topic, examining such important and diverse arenas as sociology, international and U.S. politics, behavioral sciences, communication and media, economics, education, ethnic and racial studies, terrorism, and public service. The journal"s interdisciplinary approach stimulates creativity and occasionally, controversy within the emerging frontiers of the social sciences, exploring the critical issues that affect our world and challenge our thinking.