Abstract
ABSTRACT Scholars have extensively explored the ideological stances of radical individuals, often concentrating on voting and policy preferences. This paper seeks to identify the foundational elements—such as antagonism, dogmatism, and populism—that constitute the ontological core of radical belief systems and gauge their prevalence in the general population. Utilizing data from the 2019 Belgian National Electoral Study, we adopt a person-centred approach to categorize individuals into various ideological profiles. Contrary to the prevailing assumption that radical individuals are “extreme” versions of mainstream voters, we provide evidence that they possess a distinct understanding of politics and society. We also found that political radicalism is not monolithic, comprising various nuanced and alternative non-mainstream configurations of beliefs. Additionally, we note that, compared to radical right voters, radical left voters are less inclined to embrace a black-and-white view of politics. Education, subjective social class, institutional trust, and powerlessness impact individuals' adherence to different belief systems.
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