The effect of combining a populist rhetoric into right-wing positions on candidates’ electoral support

Diogo Ferrari

Abstract:

Support for right-wing populist leaders has increased across the globe in recent years. As these leaders combine populism with often extreme positions such as anti-immigration and social conservatism, it is not clear if their support stems from their anti-elitist and populist rhetoric or their issue positions. The paper uses a conjoint experiment to compare the electoral support of populists in general and populist right-wing politicians against other non-populists but otherwise similar right-wing ones. It shows that in the US, populism alone does not increase candidates' ratings. However, when combined with right-wing positions such as anti-immigration, social conservatism, and economic liberalism, right-wing populists are better rated by right-wing voters than their non-populist but otherwise similarly right-wing counterparts.