Perceived fairness of intra-municipal cohesion politics: Does place of residence affect party preferences?

This paper examines whether beliefs that local decision-makers are perceived to favour certain groups or districts over others, are linked to anti-establishment party preferences, and whether living in an urban or rural area affects this relationship. By taking stock of an original survey of Swedish respondents stratified into densely (urban) and sparsely (rural) populated districts, our results reveal geographical polarisation even within municipalities based on perceptions of how resources are distributed, as well as perceptions of opportunities to influence policy. Individuals who live in densely populated rural areas and believe that groups have unequal influence within the municipality depending on their geographical location tend to be far left. Individuals who have similar grievances about bias in decision-making but live in rural areas tend to be far right. Furthermore, Left Party supporters living in densely populated areas are more likely to perceive bias against poor districts, while rural Sweden Democrat supporters are more likely to believe that urban residents disregard rural concerns. We conclude that local decision-makers are perceived to favour certain groups or districts over others, are linked to an increased likelihood to prefer anti-establishment parties.

Automated summary

This paper examines the relationship between beliefs about bias in local decision-making and preferences for anti-establishment parties, as well as the impact of living in urban or rural areas on this relationship. The results reveal geographical polarization even within municipalities, with individuals living in densely populated rural areas and perceiving unequal influence based on geographical location tending to be far left, and those with similar grievances but living in rural areas tending to be far right. Furthermore, Left Party supporters in densely populated areas are more likely to perceive bias against poor districts, while Sweden Democrat supporters in rural areas are more likely to believe that urban residents disregard rural concerns.