The affective model of far‐right vote in Europe: Anger, political trust, and immigration

Cengiz Erisen and Sofia Vasilopoulou

Social Science Quarterly, 2022, vol. 103, issue 3, 635-648

Abstract: Objective This study demonstrates that voting for the far right has a central affective dimension within the domain of immigration, the effect of which relies on the level of trust one has toward political institutions and equally colors one's estimation of threat. Methods We use representative data from two studies across three countries (Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) at two time points (2015 and 2019). Results We first show that anger, rather than fear, constitutes the emotional mechanism underpinning the relationship between anti‐immigration attitudes and support for the far right. Second, anger is associated more strongly with far‐right voting among those with lower levels of political trust. Third, anger affects how individuals seek out and process information about immigration, resulting in the overestimation of the perceived threat. Conclusion These findings shed light on a key puzzle of electoral behavior: Why do some citizens with anti‐immigrant attitudes opt for radical politics, whereas others do not.

Date: 2022
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