The Radical Right in Switzerland

Do Citizens Judge Health Experts Through a Partisan Lens? Evidence from a Factorial Survey Experiment

“…First and related to the explanations based on political ideology, the supporters of the biggest right‐wing party in Switzerland—the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) —oppose extensive governmental intervention (Bernhard, 2017, p. 514; Kriesi & Trechsel, 2008, p. 96). This anti‐state criticism is rooted in their free‐market beliefs but also tied to the party's populist character (Skenderovic, 2009). This can lead to right‐wing citizens being more skeptical about administration experts than left‐wing citizens (Myers et al, 2016).…”

“…Second, the leaders of the right‐wing populist party SVP/UDC have repeatedly devalued academics and questioned the practical value of science (Armingeon & Engler, 2015; Skenderovic, 2009; Stadler, 2009; Tribelhorn, 2017). As such, supporters of this party have been exposed more frequently to anti‐science rhetoric than supporters of left‐wing parties, which could increase anti‐intellectual attitudes among supporters of this party compared to supporters of left‐wing parties.…”

“…The discussion above shows that right‐wing populists and, generally, conservatives tend to mistrust academic elites because they see the latter as driven by ideological agendas (Mede & Schäfer, 2020; Ylä‐Anttila, 2018). This tendency holds in the Swiss context, where representatives of the Swiss People's Party have repeatedly accused scholars of left‐wing bias (Skenderovic, 2009). Moreover, right‐wing citizens are less likely to perceive experts as objective (Funk et al, 2019; Steel et al, 2006), and, as outlined, strong advocacy can reduce perceptions of experts' objectivity.…”

“…On its website, the SVP/UDC emphasizes the role of economic competition in provision of a good health care system and opposes the extension of government competences (SVP/UDC, 2020). However, the SVP/UDC also has protectionist tendencies (e.g., in agricultural policy)(Bernhard, 2017;Skenderovic, 2009).…”

The ‘participationnist state’ and the ‘apathetic citizen’: Educationalizing the ‘problem of non–voting’ in postwar Switzerland (1940s–1970s)

“…On the right, new xenophobic movements went so far as to fully reject Swiss democracy, which they held responsible for the 'foreign invasion' of newcomers from Southern Europe. 60 Conversely, the French-speaking Jura independence movement in the mostly German-speaking canton of Bern used symbolic violence and called for the boycott of cantonal elections -a rare mode of action in Swiss politics. 61 Indeed, the various grassroots movements that emerged in the late 1960s by mobilizing university and high-school students, as well as apprentices and workers, did not articulate a full-throated critique of voting.…”