Backlash and Culture Wars: A Political-Economy Model

The next LEMMA seminar will host Alessandro RIBONI (Ecole Polytechnique).

 Alessandro RIBONI will present "The Median Voter and Sincere Voting", en collaboration avec Gregorio Curello and Bruno Strulovici.

Abstract : Over recent decades, societies have gradually moved toward more progressive values.  At the same time, cultural conflict has intensified and politics has centered increasingly on cultural issues.  This paper studies how political and social outcomes interact. Individuals choose their level of cultural tolerance, and parties choose positions on cultural and economic dimensions. The paper examines how—and at what threshold—the shift toward progressive values can trigger intolerance, backlash and political realignment from economics to culture, and how these dynamics reinforce one another: intolerance raises the likelihood of minority-preferred cultural policies,  which amplifies intolerance, generating a “culture-war" spiral.