The last two decades have been characterized by the deepening ideological divide in many developed Western economies (Autor et al. 2020). Contemporary international politics are characterized by a sizeable rightward shift, illustrated by the landslide re-election of D. Trump, or inter alia, the increasing voting shares of Front National in France, AfD in Germany and PVV in the Netherlands, mainly capitalizing on anti-globalization nativism (Rodrik, 2018). Coupled with a more modest leftward shift (Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain) exploiting an anti-establishment rhetoric, the prevailing political arguments increasingly challenge the founding principles of post-war, liberally-oriented Western international politics (Caselli, Fracasso & Traverso, 2019).
Growing concerns regarding the widening ideological cleavages stimulated theoretical and empirical investigations as to their main determinants. The relevant literature puts forward the following candidate explanations. First, despite the beneficial growth effects of the ongoing integration of the world economy, globalization has inadvertently caused non-neutral redistributional impact, both between and within countries. The economic insecurity amongst the regions lagging behind or the lest privileged societal groups has fueled the demand for economic protectionism, especially in industries exposed to import competition (Autor, Dorn & Hanson, 2013). Along similar lines, technological developments have increased the employment insecurity of low-skilled workers (Helpman, Itskhoki & Redding, 2010). Such concerns are exacerbated by the increased migration flows, which are often perceived by some natives as a threat to their job security and their national identities (Hainmueller & Hiscox, 2010). Taken together, the above factors have aggravated underlying political and social tensions which are increasingly polarizing the electoral outcomes.
Wednesday 14 May 2025, 2.30pm-4.00pm
Speaker: Nikolaos Terzidis, Assistant Professor, University of Groningen
Venue: Yangtze Lecture Theatre, Centre Building, LSE
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