In this conversation with Sheri Berman, Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, we engage with her key
argument that growing support for right-wing populism is primarily a consequence of mainstream parties’ failure to address popular concerns about immigration. We dissect the ‘representation gap’ argument, discuss alternative explanations (namely, the issue of racism and xenophobia), explore salient differences between center-left and center-right parties, and highlight strategies that mainstream parties have used and could use to respond to citizens’ concerns and demands on immigration.
The conversation is based on Sheri Berman’s article, “Democracy and Diversity in Western Europe,” published in the October 2024 (35/4) issue of the Journal of Democracy
RevDem Podcast