Fueling the Populist Divide: Nativist and Cosmopolitan Preferences for Representation at the Elite and Mass Level

Rosie Campbell,Oliver Heath

doi:10.1007/s11109-021-09743-5

Rosie Campbell, Oliver Heath

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-021-09743-5

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Abstract

Although populist leaders often employ an anti-elite discourse which presents the elite as unable or unwilling to represent ordinary citizens, we know very little about who elites actually think should be represented, or how this differs, if at, all from what ordinary citizens want. In this article we find that there is a considerable difference between the groups that voters want to see represented in parliament and those which political elites want to see represented. In particular, we find that political elites tend to hold far more ‘cosmopolitan’ preferences than ordinary voters, and prioritize the representation of greater diversity in parliament based on the groups politicised by the new social movements and identity politics of the 60s and 70s, such as women, ethnic minorities, LGBT and the disabled. By contrast, voters more often hold nativist preferences than political elites and more often prioritize the representation of groups such as the working class, and white local people. Moreover, British voters who hold nativist preferences of political representation are more likely to be politically alienated and more likely to support Brexit.

Highlights

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in support for populist parties around the globe (Inglehart & Norris, 2017)
Using British data collected in 2015 at both the elite and mass level, we investigate which social groups political elites, operationalized as national electoral candidates and incumbent legislators, think should be represented in the British House of Commons, and whether this differs from the groups that ordinary citizens would like to see represented
Whereas it might be assumed that voters want their legislature to be a reflection of the diversity of society at large, and so have a preference for the increased representation of all marginalized groups, we argue that this preference is not universally held and represents a distinct ‘cosmopolitan’ value orientation about how society should be organised and what legislatures should look like

Summary

Introduction

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in support for populist parties around the globe (Inglehart & Norris, 2017). Voters with a cosmopolitan preference for political representation may report higher levels of anti-elite sentiment than those who support the status quo in parliament because, despite progress, the British House of Commons remains over-representative of white middle class men.

Results

Conclusion