The lecture broadly examines mobilization of the populist radical right and the role of the state in it. It looks at government strategies for addressing and interacting with the populist radical right groups. On the one hand, the government can enforce laws against extremist groups and launch programs preventing radicalization of individuals or communities. On the other hand, the government needs to deal with the impact of populist radical right parties on public policies, positions of other political parties as well as social conditions and public attitudes. The lecture examines political impacts of populist radical right parties and looks at strategies adopted by mainstream parties towards these groups, particularly at responses by established political forces towards the populist radical right.

Required readings:

Mudde, C. (2007). Populist radical right parties in Europe. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 12, Assessing impact: populist radical right parties vs. European democracies).

Hainsworth, P. (2008). The extreme right in Western Europe. Oxford: Routledge. (Chapter 6, Impact)