When the Rich Get Richer: Class, Globalization, and the Sociotropic Determinants of Populism

Abstract

Abstract Globalization is frequently linked to populism in advanced industrial societies, yet scholars have found little evidence for a direct connection between citizens’ personal economic fortunes and populist beliefs. We draw on the sociotropic tradition to argue that beliefs about how the global economy differently affects groups in society link globalization to populism and its component elements—anti-elitism, people-centrism, and demand for popular sovereignty. Data from an original survey of US residents support our argument that beliefs about whether wealthy Americans have gained from globalization—the rich getting richer—correlate with populist attitudes. This pattern holds while adjusting for a broad range of pocketbook measures and the nativist attitudes associated with right-wing populism. Results from a pre-registered experiment further show that exposure to an article about globalization enriching Davos billionaires increases two of three populist beliefs, lending causal leverage to our empirical tests. Our results emphasize the class dynamics created by outside financial forces, rather than the effects on the country as a whole, suggesting that international relations (IR) scholars gain important insights by accounting for globalization’s uneven effects. Perceptions about globalization inform attitudes about politics in general, a layer deeper than foreign economic policy preferences.