Empirical Analyses on Radical Right Party Support, Xenophobia, and Electoral Mobilizations in Europe

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K13676
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Politics
• Research Institution: The University of Kitakyushu
• Principal Investigator: NAKAI Ryo 北九州市立大学, 法学部, 准教授 (10546328)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 世論調査 / ヨーロッパ / 排外主義 / 右翼 / 選挙 / ナショナリズム / 反移民感情 / サーベイ調査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We found three main arguments: (1) Xenophobic sentiments, such as support for Radical Right Parties (RRP) and anti-immigrant sentiment, are not defined by individual socioeconomic inferiority, but rather influenced by cultural conservatism. The influences of political distrusts toward European integration are also significant; (2) The effect of electoral mobilization is more significant on the influence of the major centrist parties than on those of the RRP. Xenophobic sentiment among supporters of the RRP has remained stable regardless electoral timing; (3) Individuals with low political interest tend to increase chauvinist sentiment at election time. This may be due to the influence of the information environment including political discourses projected by the RRP.
The above findings were identified through statistical analyses on public opinion polls (in particular, the European Social Survey) and other surveys conducted by author with the support of this research grant.

Free Research Field

政治学，比較政治学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的には右翼政党支持や反移民感情研究の既存研究と整合的な知見が，ポスト難民危機期においても有効であることを示すとともに，政党支持と排外主義感情（反移民感情）との相互関係についてのより実質的な知見を実証的根拠をもって明らかにした。多文化社会の安定的共生にあって，排外主義政党や感情の支持者を社会経済的弱者だとスティグマタイズすることの誤りや，選挙期間の情報流通へ注視する必要性などを示したと言える。