The Impact of the Radical Right on Racism and Classism

The last three decades have seen the steady rise of politicians who gain electoral success with platforms that seemingly oppose diversity and equality. This presentation will consider the implications of this development for racism and classism. Its main message is that the consequences of politicians like Donald Trump in the United States, Nigel Farage in the United Kingdom, and Marine le Pen in France are not as straightforward as one might think. Radical right politicians are more effective at mobilizing already existing racism than at spreading racist thought among a wider population. And many of them are at least seemingly committed to encouraging economic equality, as long as those efforts are targeted at individuals they consider as belonging to the nation. Rather than increasing racism and classism, therefore, the main effect of these politicians is to transform the political implications of these sentiments.