This paper is dedicated to the question how so-called globalization shocks affect voting outcomes and the rise of populism. The thesis brought forward is that strong ‘domestic institutions’ help soften the societal turmoil caused by globalization, both economically and politically. Building on existing arguments (Rodrick, Manow), the paper argues, however, that the mere existence of strong domestic institutions in the established sense is not enough to prevent populist movements from rising, but needs to be accompanied by feasible policies and a problem-oriented rhetoric that addresses the whole of society. Doing so, the essay systematically distinguishes between economic and political tasks of domestic institutions. The hypothesis is that populists are only successful if domestic institutions fail to fulfil their economic or political task, or in other words, when either ‘domestic economic institutions’ or ‘domestic political institutions’ fail. To prove the argument, the paper looks at different examples of domestic institutions in Europe and measures their success in recent elections (reflected in the voting share for populist parties, as of July 2019).
Content
Introduction: What this paper is about
Prelude: Globalization & Populism
The argument I: Populist Strategies
The argument II: The role of Domestic Institutions
Conclusion I: The economic and the political task of domestic institutions
Comparable analysis: Anti-populist strategies in Greece, Italy, and Denmark
Greece
Italy
Denmark
Conclusion II: Different ways to counter populism
Sources