Joost and Rachid show How Stigmatization of the PVV Reduces Its Electoral Support

Joost van Spanje and Rachid Azrout examined voters’ reactions to news media coverage of the Dutch party PVV. They found that exposure to stigmatization lowered perceived legitimacy of the PVV among voters who held anti-immigrant attitudes. In turn, this decreased these voters’ propensity to vote for the PVV. Joost and Rachid conclude that stigmatization can be a useful tool for those who want to damage a party. See for more information their paper published in International Journal of Public Opinion Research.