Economic Populism, Sovereignism and Globalization in Europe and the United States

Résumé En

Sovereignism is at the crux of the current wave of radical right-wing populism (RRP). Populist parties advocate ‘taking back control’ from the political establishment, supranational institutions and global forces and they typically do so in the name of the ‘people’. While sovereignism may concern different dimensions, claims by RRPs to regain sovereignty are often associated with socioeconomic issues such as welfare, redistribution and international trade. The article aims to investigate the intersection between populism and sovereignism in RRP politics, and how voter demands for popular and national sovereignties may be articulated with one another to express the idea of regaining control of the country as a means of recovering economic prosperity. Based on an original cross-national survey conducted in four West European countries – France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland – and the United States, this contribution proposes to examine populist sovereignist attitudes among citizens and parties across different socioeconomic contexts and polities.