Article Abstract:
Although there is little doubt that technological change is generating labor market polarization around the world, we know much less about its translation into partisan polarization. I explore the political polarization driven by the rise of right-wing populist parties and leaders throughout developed democracies. I build a theoretical model to explain how right-wing populists have attracted the votes of routine workers, workers exposed to automation risk, and previously loyal to mainstream left-wing parties, within both majoritarian multidistrict and multiparty proportional systems. I empirically evaluate the theory, focusing primarily on the United States and Germany, using individual vote-switching data and campaign messaging and targeting strategies inferred from the content of political speeches and party manifestos.