Migrating Extremists

Abstract

We show that migrating extremists can shape political equilibria in the long run. Regions in Austria that witnessed an influx of Nazis fleeing the Soviets after WWII still have significantly higher far-right vote shares today. Institutions and family ties perpetuate persistence. Migrated Nazi elites founded and penetrated local party branches that cultivate and preserve far-right ideologies, even when outside conditions temporarily change. Phonebook entries from 1942 allow tracing current far-right party membership back to past migration. Our results suggest that controlling migrating extremists is crucial to contain the spread of radical movements.

Activated History - The Case of the Turkish Sieges of Vienna

“…the permanent representation of extreme right-wing parties in national parliaments. The results of Ochsner and Roesel (2016) indicate that post-WWII Nazi migration explains local differences in right-wing voting even in recent elections. Most studies on populist right-wing movements, however, neglect the role of history or past experience.…”

A Glimpse of Freedom: Allied Occupation and Political Resistance in East Germany

“…31 Beevor (2002) claims that in Berlin "optimists were learning English and pessimists learning Russian" (p.190). Hence, it is 30 Relatedly, Ochsner and Roesel (2020) show that areas in Austria that experienced an influx of former Nazis after WWII have higher far-right vote shares up to the present day.…”

The Political Economy of Populism

“…Once a given country adopts a populist stance, it is hard to change it in the short-term. For example, Ochsner and Rösel (2016) demonstrate that far-right parties today have significantly stronger voter appeal in regions that accepted more migration from escaping Nazis after WWII. The mechanism of impact is the following: Nazis joined or themselves founded far-right organizations, which have preserved their ideologies over time.…”