Abstracts Political Science

Neo-populist party appeal and realignment: the emergence of a new politics cleavage?

by Erol Faiz Kaymak

The emergence of right-wing populist parties in many countries of the industrialized world seems to hark back to the rise of fascists of the 1920s and 1930s.The economic and social dislocations of the past two decades have witnessed an upsurge of right-wing populist parties. Most studies focus on the alleged parallels between fascism and the new movements. This dissertation posits an alternative classification for the current crop of right-wing populist parties. Instead of emphasizing the continuities with past movements, this dissertation asserts that there are significant differences. Old extreme right parties were authoritarian and exalted the state. Neo-populist parties accept the existing democratic order. Hostility to govemment, rather than its exahation, is their hallmark. Some neo-populist parties have been very successful at exploiting resentment among a growing number of dealigned voters. What differentiates neo-populist parties from their supposed forerunners is their distinct ability to mobilize this resentment. Unlike neo-fascist parties, successful neo-populist parties appeal to heterogeneous groups. A populist style, including the scapegoating common enemies, real or imaginary, helps keep the disparate coalitions together. The organizational attributes of successfull neo-populist parties, centralized authority and charismatic leadership, not only distinguishes neo-populist parties as a unique party type but also accounts for their success and appeal. Several representative case studies, including successfull and unsuccessfull neo-populist parties, tend to support the argument. Organizational dynamics seem to be important factors explaining successes and failures. Successfull neo-populist parties should appeal to people who exhibit populist sentiments, measured in terms of issues and resentment predispositions, rather than to extremists who tend to be ideological, racist, and authoritarian. Logistic regression models tend to confirm this expectation. Neo-populist issues and predispositions tend to be good predictors of neo-populist party support.