Reverse post-material thesis

The reverse post-material thesis argues that the far-right have increased in support as a result of mainstream parties embracing issues such as LGBT rights (pictured) rather than traditional class interests.

The reverse post-material thesis or reverse post-materialism thesis is an academic theory used to explain support for far-right political parties. The thesis argues that during the 1970s and 1980s, mainstream political parties embraced a post-material agenda with less concern for traditional class and economic interests and greater concern for issues such as feminism, environmentalism, liberal internationalist values, LGBT rights and other sexual freedoms. The reverse post-material thesis argues that individuals support such parties because they reject the post-material positions adopted by mainstream political parties, particularly centre-left and progressive political parties. According to this thesis, this post-material agenda while more likely to appeal to the young and educated voters is seen as irrelevant to the material concerns particularly of working-class unskilled males. Merkel and Weinberg argue that the material concerns of these voters will if anything have increased against a backdrop of globalisation.

Criticism

Merkel and Weinberg argue that the reverse post-material thesis is insufficient to explain local variations in support for the far-right. For instance why the British National Party did well in Oldham at the 2001 General Election but relatively poorly in neighbouring Blackburn. They also argue that in Europe post-material values are strongest in Germany, Scandinavia and the Netherlands but the extreme-right is generally weaker in these countries meaning that the post-material thesis is insufficient on its own as an explanation for far-right support.