TY - JOUR

T1 - The electoral appeal of symbolic class signalling through cultural consumption

AU - Weisstanner, David

AU - Engler, Sarah

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press.

PY - 2025/7/11

Y1 - 2025/7/11

N2 - This letter investigates the electoral effects of symbolic class signalling through ‘cultural consumption’ in contemporary politics. We explore how politicians referring to an activity related to class-specific ‘cultural consumption’ – drinking beer in a pub or listening to classical music with a glass of wine – appeals to voters. We argue that symbolic class signalling has gained in importance due to the political realignment along the cultural dimension, and we expect radical right parties to benefit most from it. Our conjoint survey experiment with 1,550 respondents in Switzerland in January/February 2023 confirms our expectation. While many voters are biased against politicians claiming to enjoy classical music and wine, politicians drinking beer in a pub appeal particularly to radical right working-class voters without tertiary education. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of symbolic politics and class identity in times of political transformation.

AB - This letter investigates the electoral effects of symbolic class signalling through ‘cultural consumption’ in contemporary politics. We explore how politicians referring to an activity related to class-specific ‘cultural consumption’ – drinking beer in a pub or listening to classical music with a glass of wine – appeals to voters. We argue that symbolic class signalling has gained in importance due to the political realignment along the cultural dimension, and we expect radical right parties to benefit most from it. Our conjoint survey experiment with 1,550 respondents in Switzerland in January/February 2023 confirms our expectation. While many voters are biased against politicians claiming to enjoy classical music and wine, politicians drinking beer in a pub appeal particularly to radical right working-class voters without tertiary education. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of symbolic politics and class identity in times of political transformation.

KW - candidate choice

KW - conjoint survey experiment

KW - cultural consumption

KW - radical right parties

KW - symbolic class signalling

KW - Politics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105010871897&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/S0007123425100513

DO - 10.1017/S0007123425100513

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 55

JO - British Journal of Political Science

JF - British Journal of Political Science

SN - 0007-1234

M1 - e90

ER -