Youth and Local Level Populism and Radicalism

Abstract

Classic scholarship considered populist radical right parties as an episodic, occasional phenomenon. Yet, many of these parties have lasted for several decades now and have become regular protagonists of European politics. One explanation for this is that far-right parties have been capable to reproduce some of the crucial features of traditional mass parties, such as well-developed grassroots organizations linking national politics and local issues, and powerful youth sections allowing to channel youth activism and renew the party personnel. How do far-right organizations across Europe manage the tension between local issues and national politics? How do they address younger supporters, and what is the socialization of youth in far-right parties? And how do the political parties of the far right organize their youth sections and the militancy at the local level? Starting from existing research on populist radical right parties and their issues, the papers in this panel take a closer look at how theories of party organisation and political participation can help explain youth and local-level populism, radicalism and extremism.

Title	Details
Regional Factionalism as an Enabling Structure: The Case of the AfD	View Paper Details
Tilting for or at Windmills? The Impact of the Construction of Wind Turbines on AfD and Green Electoral Success	View Paper Details
Why Do Populists Cluster Regionally? Individual and Contextual Drivers of Populist Attitudes and Vote Choices in Germany and Czechia	View Paper Details