Riding the wave of success: the role of trans-national diffusion mechanisms in the development of far right parties

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe far right party (FRP) literature is quite variable-oriented and often undervalues the dynamics that motivate FRP development. Previous research describes the implausibility of developmental independence between FRPs, mainly by identifying extensive similarities in master frame adoption and by introducing trans-national diffusion as an indicator of developmental interdependence between FRPs. To further substantiate this initial claim, the current study formally models how trans-national diffusion between West European FRPs operates, and how one can explicitly reject the notion of FRP independence. First, a master frame change model provides a cognitive account of how and why FRPs consider and adopt an alternative master frame. Second, supporting this theoretical framework, the study distinguishes between two diffusion mechanisms that illustrate how change decisions are interdependent: learning and emulation. To conclude, an empirical illustration suggests that emulation mechanisms are more likely to be prevalent in earlier development, whereas learning mechanisms are more likely to be relevant beyond emergence.