Inequality, politics, and the far right

I study how people’s social origins and mobility experiences shape their political preferences, welfare attitudes, and support for radical parties. My research has demonstrated that downward class mobility is a significant predictor of far-right party support in Western Europe, and that population-level health conditions — rather than individual health — drive support for populist parties. I have also examined how perceived intergenerational mobility influences welfare state preferences across transition societies, and how populist leaders may have created conditions for worse public health outcomes during COVID-19.

This research programme bridges social stratification and political sociology, showing that the experience of falling behind — whether real or perceived — has profound consequences for democratic politics.

Key publications