A growing literature argues that a new cleavage is forming in Western Europe, permanently reshaping party competition in the region. By these accounts, far-right parties are a crucial pole in the new divide, mobilizing voters without tertiary education. But are far-right parties really durable representatives of the lower-educated, with clear social roots in this structural group? Or do they practice a flexible, catch-all approach to politics? This paper combines original and existing data on far-right parties’ origins, organization, and elite composition across Western Europe. The results suggest most far-right parties lack meaningful social-rootedness in the educational divide.
** Please note: Events in this series do not include a presentation. Attendees of this seminar are expected to read a paper in advance and enter into a discussion. This is an in-person event. To receive a copy of the paper, please contact Kate Searle at ksearle@mit.edu. **
