Discounting extreme positions: party normalization and support for the far right

Journal article

Laia Balcells, Sergi Martínez, Ethan vanderWilden
Political Science Research and Methods, 2025

Cite

APA Click to copy
Balcells, L., Martínez, S., & vanderWilden, E. (2025). Discounting extreme positions: party normalization and support for the far right. Political Science Research and Methods.

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Balcells, Laia, Sergi Martínez, and Ethan vanderWilden. “Discounting Extreme Positions: Party Normalization and Support for the Far Right.” Political Science Research and Methods (2025).

MLA Click to copy
Balcells, Laia, et al. “Discounting Extreme Positions: Party Normalization and Support for the Far Right.” Political Science Research and Methods, 2025.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{laia2025a,
  title = {Discounting extreme positions: party normalization and support for the far right},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Political Science Research and Methods},
  author = {Balcells, Laia and Martínez, Sergi and vanderWilden, Ethan}
}

Abstract

When are far right parties punished for their extreme positions? We argue that the punishments of deviant position-taking are conditional on the degree to which a far right party is normalized or stigmatized in the party system. When the far right is treated as normal, the costs suffered from these parties’ extreme positions decrease, as moderate voters discount the authenticity of their commitment to such positions. We use a survey experiment to test this argument in Spain, finding evidence for discounting on the far right’s extreme anti-LGBTQ+ statements, but not on its embrace of authoritarian history. This study thus shows that normalization and stigmatization of the far right can change how its extreme positions are interpreted by voters.