Thrilled to share our article just out in the British Journal of Political Science. The first meta-analysis of the evidence of a causal association between economic insecurity and populism provides a definite answer confirming that economic insecurity is a robust cause.
Abstract
The literature on populism is divided on whether economic factors are significant and robust causes of populism. To clarify this, we performed the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence of a causal association between economic insecurity and populism. We combined database searches with searching the citations of eligible studies and recently published reviews. We identified and reviewed thirty-six studies and presented a concise narrative summary and numerical synthesis of the key findings. Although we found significant heterogeneity in several dimensions, all studies reported a significant causal association. A recurrent magnitude was that economic insecurity explained around one-third of recent surges in populism. We tested for publication bias by conducting a funnel-plot asymmetry test and a density discontinuity test of the distribution of t-statistics. We found significant evidence of publication bias; however, the causal association between economic insecurity and populism remains significant after controlling for it.
Cite as:
Scheiring, Gábor, Manuel Serrano-Alarcón, Alexandru D. Moise, Courtney McNamara, and David Stuckler (2024), "The Populist Backlash against Globalization: A Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence." British Journal of Political Science, Advance Access, Published on Feb 22, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123424000024 (open access)