Political Science

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

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Module Code: POU44402

Module Name: Topics in Political Science 7-Topics in Far-Right Politics 2024-25

ECTS Weighting: 5
Semester/Term Taught: Semester 2
Contact Hours:22h
Module Personnel: Dr Matthias Dilling

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
· Explain and critically examine concepts in the study of far-right politics,
· Compare and contrast demand-side, institutional, and supply-side explanations for the success of far-right parties and their effects on political and social outcomes,
· Examine and appraise the evidence and the research designs used to generate that evidence in favor and against those explanations, and
· Design and implement their own research project on topics relating to far-right parties.

Module Learning Aims

This module covers concepts, arguments, and evidence surrounding the causes and effects of the rise of far-right political parties. It aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to critically examine research designs and empirical evidence to conduct their own research into the varying success of the far right.

Module Content

Democracies around the world have seen a surge in support for far-right political parties and candidates. What characterizes far-right parties? What explains their success? What effects have they had on other parties, social norms, and other political outcomes? This module engages with these and other questions in the study of far-right politics, with a particular focus on the empirical analysis of party politics and elections in Europe.

The module unfolds in three parts. Part I will clarify the conceptual ground, defining key terms and tracing historical developments. Part II will examine potential demand-and supply-side causes of far-right parties’ success, paying particular attention to research methodology and empirical evidence. Part III will extend this empirical focus to examining the effects of far-right success, engaging with questions around institutional incorporation and mainstreaming and what these processes mean for party politics, public policy, and liberal democracy.