How do voters interpret social class appeals? Lessons from open-ended responses

TY - JOUR

T1 - How do voters interpret social class appeals? Lessons from open-ended responses

AU - Stubager, Rune

AU - Thau, Mads

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Recent research has shown that parties’ group appeals, particularly working class appeals, can raise electoral support. But how do such effects come about? This article explores the mechanisms underlying group appeals by content analysing voters’ open-ended responses to working class and upper middle class appeals in a survey experiment in Denmark. The results show that voters generally connect class-based rhetoric from candidates to issues of inequality with some also reacting emotionally. Furthermore, the effect of class appeals on electoral support is conditioned by the considerations activated by the appeals, with stronger effects observed among voters who focus on the groups involved. Finally, while voters recognise traditional class-party alliances, such stereotypes do not undercut the effectiveness of the appeals; thus, also candidates from right-wing parties can use working class appeals to their benefit. These findings advance our understanding of the role of social groups in party electoral strategies.

AB - Recent research has shown that parties’ group appeals, particularly working class appeals, can raise electoral support. But how do such effects come about? This article explores the mechanisms underlying group appeals by content analysing voters’ open-ended responses to working class and upper middle class appeals in a survey experiment in Denmark. The results show that voters generally connect class-based rhetoric from candidates to issues of inequality with some also reacting emotionally. Furthermore, the effect of class appeals on electoral support is conditioned by the considerations activated by the appeals, with stronger effects observed among voters who focus on the groups involved. Finally, while voters recognise traditional class-party alliances, such stereotypes do not undercut the effectiveness of the appeals; thus, also candidates from right-wing parties can use working class appeals to their benefit. These findings advance our understanding of the role of social groups in party electoral strategies.

KW - class voting

KW - content analysis

KW - experiment

KW - Group appeals

KW - open-ended responses

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85176091880&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/01402382.2023.2274726

DO - 10.1080/01402382.2023.2274726

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85176091880

SN - 0140-2382

VL - 48

SP - 323

EP - 351

JO - West European Politics

JF - West European Politics

IS - 2

ER -