OFFENTLIG EKONOMI OCH POPULISM: LEDER SÄMRE OFFENTLIG EKONOMI TILL STÖD FÖR SVERIGEDEMOKRATERNA? En kvantitativ analys av hur kommunal ekonomi påverkar sympati för Sverigedemokraterna

Abstract

In this paper I examine how public economic conditions correlates with favoring populist parties. Using a logistical regression analysis, I examine Swedish voters and using earlier research I try to explain why the political party Sweden democrats have a bigger share of supporters in rural Sweden compared to inner cities. Building off Cas Muddes theories on populism, I test if the rural support for the Sweden democrats correlates to the economic state of the public sector services in rural Sweden. The Sweden democrats are examined as a populist party, partly due to being considered antiestablishment. The economic state of municipalities are examined using ”Kommunala utjämningsbidraget”. The quantitative model uses control variables for distrust of politicians, personal income, the perceived effect on Swedish culture by immigrants and age. The results indicate that people living in less well-off municipalities are more inclined to vote for populist alternatives. The causal mechanism between economic and political dissatisfaction some empirical evidence, while the correlation between political dissatisfaction and support for populist candidates have strong empirical evidence.