Author Meet Critics: Vicente Valentim’s “The Normalization of the Radical Right”

Session Submission Type: Author meet critics

Session Description

This session will bring together a group of leading scholars of European politics to discuss Vicente Valentim's book "The Normalization of the Radical Right: A Norms Theory of Political Supply and Demand" (Oxford University Press, 2024).

Radical-right behavior has been increasing rapidly across a number of Western democracies. Examples include far-right protests, voting for radical-right parties, or expressing radical-right views in daily conversations. This book argues that the increase in these behaviors is not due to citizens' preferences becoming more radical-right. Instead, these processes are driven by individuals who had radical-right views already, but who hid them because they thought they were socially unacceptable. If these voters do not show their views, politicians underestimate how much latent support there is for radical-right policy. This makes radical-right candidates less skilled. If better politicians run for politics with a radical-right platforms, however, they are able to mobilize this muted support for radical-right views, becoming electorally successful. This electoral success, in turn, makes individuals perceive that norms against radical-right behavior are weaker. Radical-right individuals become more comfortable showing their views, and more politicians join the radical right.

The session will start with the author presenting the book. He will also discuss how this work connects to a wider research agenda he is building, dealing with how social norms affect the behavior of citizens and politicians. Valentim will discuss how he aims to develop this agenda further after the publication of this first book. Afterwards, there will be individual discussions by each of the panelists. They will discuss not only the book, but also the wider research agenda, and how it connects to the study of European politics and political behavior.

Sub Unit

• Division 11: Comparative Politics

Chair

• Catherine E. De Vries Bocconi University

Presenters

• Vicente Valentim Nuffield College, University of Oxford

• Rafaela Dancygier Princeton University

• Rahsaan Maxwell New York University

• Daniel F. Ziblatt Harvard University