How populism affects access to public goods – CBS assumes key role in European research project

If children cannot speak the language well enough, they should be tested and possibly excluded from our school system.

This was a proposal made by right-wing party Österreichische Volkpartei in Austria in 2023. Although the proposal was never implemented, the rhetoric created a sense of exclusion among minorities and drew a sharp line between ‘us’ and ‘them’.

This example of populist rhetoric illustrates how political communication influences societal dynamics and the distribution of resources, explains Thomas Lindner, Associate Professor at the Department of International Economics, Government and Business at CBS.

A key point is that populist rhetoric often creates a feeling of exclusion

Thomas Lindner

In Austria, it was suggested that children as young as three were to take a German language test to enter kindergarten. 

“Even discussing it in this way generates a sense of exclusion,” Thomas Lindner says.

Lindner is one of the lead researchers in the VALPOP project (‘Valuing Public Goods in a Populist World’), funded by Horizon Europe. 

The project, led by the University of Innsbruck, examines how populist trends affect access to essential goods such as education, healthcare and infrastructure. 

“Our task is to investigate how networks within politics, business and society transform public goods into exclusive goods – narrowing access. On the surface, our societies appear formally open, but in reality, access to areas like education is not as available as we might think,” he says.

CBS plays a central role in the project, contributing to the analysis of social and economic impact.

What is populism and how can it be measured?

In Denmark, we have access to many public goods, such as primary schools and free healthcare. At the same time, elite schools with strict entry requirements and private healthcare exist, and these are not available to everyone. 

According to Thomas Lindner and the research group, this shift from broadly accessible public goods to exclusive ones may be driven by populism.

VALPOP focuses on two defining characteristics of populism:

-    people-centrism (‘us versus them’ rhetoric) and 
-    anti-elitism (the narrative that elites are corrupt, while ordinary people are virtuous). 

These traits are used to analyse how political rhetoric impacts society.

CBS’ contribution:  Analysing public goods

CBS’ main task in the project is to evaluate how populism influences the distribution of public goods. 

We have already mentioned access to free education and effective healthcare systems, but public goods also include public transport, green spaces and infrastructure such as roads and bridges. 

Using advanced quantitative methods and network analyses, researchers examine how relationships between politicians, media and businesses shape access to resources.

“We create network maps that visualise connections between key actors in Europe,” Lindner explains. “This gives us insight into the hidden dynamics influencing how populist rhetoric can change societal structures.”

How to measure the impact of populism

So, how is this done? 

“Many of these networks operate informally but unfortunately, we only have access to formal networks. We have to investigate the formal networks and conduct experiments that ‘simulate’ how informal networks work,” says Thomas Lindner.

Measuring the impact of populism thus requires a combination of experiments and data analysis. CBS designs experiments where participants are exposed to populist rhetoric, and their reactions are studied. Lindner elaborates:

“We analyse how populist rhetoric affects people’s perception of public goods. By combining experimental results with data from both Europe and USA, we build a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon.”

Practical relevance and political influence

VALPOP’s findings will inform EU Commission reports and political recommendations. In the short term, the project aims to raise public awareness of how exclusionary rhetoric fosters feelings of alienation, even without concrete political action.

“Populist rhetoric often creates a sense of exclusion,” says Lindner.
 
“Understanding this is crucial to creating a more inclusive society.”

A multidisciplinary and international collaboration

The VALPOP project is a collaboration between researchers from Europe and countries such as New Zealand. The combination of political science, digital social research and economics offers a unique interdisciplinary approach to understanding the mechanisms of populism.

“Working with researchers from different disciplines and countries is essential to understanding the complexity of populism,” Lindner emphasises. “This is a project that combines academic research with practical solutions.”

The project will begin in March 2025 and run for four years.

“It is the interdisciplinary perspective that makes this project unique. By connecting politics, business and media, we shed light on the forces shaping our societies,” Lindner concludes.