What explains the relationship between populist radical right attitudes and opposition to climate policy?: structural vs. ideological factors

2025/09/02 by Håkon Sælen, Håkon Grøn Sælen, Aaron M. McCright · 1 voice · 4 citations
Social Sciences · #Economics #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Ideology #Law #Media Influence and Politics #Opposition (politics) #Political economy #Political science #Politics #Populism #Populism, Right-Wing Movements #Positive economics #Radical right

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/09644016.2025.2553951

published in Environmental Politics 35(5), 1023-1049 (Taylor & Francis)

openalex publication_date 2025/09/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25

Abstract

Populism of the radical right is strongly associated with climate change denial and opposition to climate policy, but we lack understanding of why these two phenomena are linked. This article tests two alternative explanations presented by extant literature. A structuralist explanation argues that the link is spurious, as both are caused by perceived vulnerability to structural changes in the economy. In highlighting that the ideological nature of radical right populism is antithetical to climate policy, an ideological explanation posits that any apparent effect of structural changes on climate policy attitudes is mediated by radical right populist ideology. We present data from an original survey administered in Australia, Germany, Norway, and the United States that is designed to test the two hypotheses against each other. Two different structural equation modeling analyses provide greater support for the ideological explanation than the structuralist explanation.

Citations

• Interests, Norms and Support for the Provision of Global Public Goods: The Case of Climate Co-operation

Cited by

• Public support for climate policies: costs, redistribution, and ideological divides
• Will ‘America first’ leave America behind? Exploring discourses of a fossil-fueled heartland
• Not all crises are alike: Crisis concerns and anti-establishment attitudes in comparative perspective

Discussions

• New article! What explains the relationship between populist radical right attitudes and opposition to climate policy? Structural vs. ideological factors, from Håkon Grøn Sælen & Aaron M. McCright. [bsky, 29 points, 2 comments]

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