“Levelling Up Communities”: How Place-Based Policies Affect Political Behaviour

• In Event: Beyond Backlash: Political Reactions to Socio-Economic Transformations

Abstract

Amid the rise of territorial inequalities and anti-mainstream support, politicians have increasingly called for place-based policies to revitalise deprived neighbourhoods through economic investment and social cohesion projects. Advocates of such policies argue that they are likely to reduce spatial disparities that caused radical right support in more economically deprived areas. However, little is known about whether, and if so how, such policies affect political attitudes and behaviour. This paper aims to assess the impact of urban regeneration policies on individuals’ political interest, sense of external efficacy, political participation and/or party identification. To do so, we focus on the ‘Social City Programme’ in Germany which is an urban regeneration policy that combines economic investment and social cohesion projects to boost local economies and increase civic and political engagement. The German panel data allows us to compare various political attitudes and behaviour of individuals that receive this programme with similar individuals that did not receive it since its implementation in 1999. This paper provides important insights into whether place-based policies are successful at promoting political participation and curbing anti-mainstream support.

Authors

• Diane Bolet, University of Zurich

• Sven Hegewald, ETH Zurich

• Tarik Abou-Chadi, University of Oxford