A tough trade-off? The asymmetrical impact of populist radical right inclusion on satisfaction with democracy and government

Populist radical right (PRR) parties are increasingly included in coalition governments across Western Europe. How does such inclusion affect satisfaction with democracy (SWD) in these societies? While some citizens will feel democracy has grown more responsive, others will abhor the inclusion of such controversial parties. Using data from the European Social Survey (2002-2018) and panel data from the Netherlands, we investigate how nativists' and non-nativists' SWD depends on mainstream parties' strategies towards PRR parties. We show that the effect is asymmetrical: at moments of inclusion nativists become substantially more satisfied with democracy, while such satisfaction among non-nativists decreases less or not at all. This pattern, which we attribute to Easton's 'reservoir of goodwill', that is, a buffer of political support generated by a track-record of good performance and responsiveness, can account for the seemingly contradictory increase in SWD in many Western European countries in times of populism.

Automated summary

Inclusion of populist radical right (PRR) parties in coalition governments in Western Europe has asymmetric effects on satisfaction with democracy (SWD), increasing it among nativists while decreasing it less or not at all among non-nativists. The strategies of mainstream parties towards PRR parties also play a role in shaping SWD among different groups. This phenomenon can be explained by the concept of Easton's 'reservoir of goodwill', which highlights the impact of good performance and responsiveness in generating political support.