Perceived social mobility and populist attitudes
Liñeira, Robert (University of Glasgow)
Rico, Guillem (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Objectives: This study aims to investigate the impact of perceived downward mobility on populist attitudes. Intergenerational downward mobility breaks the promise that new generations should meet the living standards of their parents, a crucial component of the order and political legitimacy of the postwar decades in high-income democracies. We argue that this frustrated expectation fuels populism. Methods: We use data from a cross-national survey conducted in eight European countries in the aftermath of the Great Recession. The survey includes a valid and reliable measure of populist attitudes and a measure of perceived social mobility. Results: Results show a direct effect of perceived downward mobility on populist attitudes. The relationship is robust to different controls and consistent across the eight countries. We also find that socioeconomic factors moderate this relationship due to diverse expectations of social mobility and the different appeal that the populist discourse generates among various social groups. Conclusions: These findings refine the literature on the socioeconomics of populism by nuancing the established connection between low educational attainment, socioeconomic factors and populist attitudes. The article also contributes to the literature on the consequences of downward mobility.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Perceived downward mobility ; Populism ; Populist attitudes
Published in:	Social Science Quarterly, Vol. 106 Núm. 3 (2025) , art. e70019, ISSN 1540-6237

DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.70019

12 p, 415.0 KB

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