Re-evaluating the welfare preferences of radical-right voters: evidence from a vignette experiment
Author(s) : Juliana Chueri, Mia K. Gandenberger, Alyssa M. Taylor, Carlo M. Knotz, Flavia Fossati
Source : https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2024.2356375
Abstract:
“Research on the welfare stances of populist radical-right parties (PRRPs) categorises them as ‘welfare chauvinists’ and ‘producerists’, supporting generous benefits exclusively for ‘hard-working’ nationals. However, it remains unclear whether their voters’ welfare preferences align with these positions. The argument advanced in this paper is that a comprehensive understanding of PRRP voters’ welfare preferences requires the examination of how solidarity and perceptions of welfare claimant deservingness interact. Thus, this article employs a factorial vignette survey experiment to evaluate the interplay between solidarity and deservingness perceptions among PRRP voters. Contrary to previous research, results show that PRRP voters do not exhibit stronger producerist attitudes; instead, they mostly stand out as particularly nativists. While PRRP voters exhibit significantly less solidarity towards welfare claimants deemed ‘least’ and ‘average-deserving’ than other partisans, they are not more solidaristic towards the ‘most deserving’ claimant. These findings challenge existing understanding of deservingness perceptions of PRRP voters, providing a new perspective on the study of their welfare attitudes.”
Keywords: Populist radical-right parties, welfare chauvinism, solidarity, deservingness, survey experiments