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Cited by 134Populism, Right-Wing MovementsElectoral Systems and Political ParticipationGerman legal, social, and political studies

Political Extremism in the 1920s and 1930s: Do German Lessons Generalize?

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de Bromhead, Alan, Eichengreen, Barry, O'Rourke, Kevin H.·2013·The Journal of Economic History
DOI 10.1017/s0022050713000302
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Abstract

We examine the impact of the Great Depression on the share of votes for right-wing extremists in elections in the 1920s and 1930s. We confirm the existence of a link between political extremism and economic hard times as captured by growth or contraction of the economy. What mattered was not simply growth at the time of the election, but cumulative growth performance. The impact was greatest in countries with relatively short histories of democracy, with electoral systems that created low hurdles to parliamentary representation, and which had been on the losing side in World War I.

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  • During the Great Depression, far-right movements had greater success in European countries that had more prolonged downturns.

    “During the Great Depression, far-right movements had greater success in European countries that had more prolonged downturns (de Bromhead, Eichengreen, and O'Rourke 2013).”

    From Importing Political Polarization? The Electoral Consequences of Rising Trade Exposure (2020) · cites this paper as de Bromhead, Eichengreen, and O'Rourke 2013

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Authors
de Bromhead, A., Eichengreen, B., & O'Rourke, K. H.
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (US)
ORCID
Eichengreen, Barry
Venue
The Journal of Economic History
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2013-05-23
Volume
73
Issue
2
Pages
371-406
ISSN
  • 0022-0507 (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-6372
DOI
10.1017/s0022050713000302
OpenAlex
W2156499340
Cited by
134
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5
FWCI
45.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • The Journal of Economic History (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • European Commission (249546, 2007–2013, FP7 2007-2013, FP7/2007)
  • FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (249546)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Populism, Right-Wing Movements
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Electoral Systems and Political Participation
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › German legal, social, and political studies
Keywords
political extremism, right-wing extremism, Great Depression, economic growth, cumulative growth, electoral systems, democracy, World War I, Germany, comparative politics, 1920s, 1930s

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