Xenophobia and xenophilia : Pauline Hanson and the counterbalancing of electorial incentives in Australia

Mainstream parties focus on the economic dimension of politics, conventionally understood as left versus right. But there is another possible dimension, one which taps concerns about social and cultural issues. The author labels this the cosmopolitan/libertarian versus authoritarian/xenophobic dimension. She argues that extremist parties make appeals to voters with issues drawn from this dimension rather than the economic one. When appeals by extremist parties invoke xenophobia they are a threat to immigrants. Mainstream parties may be tempted to echo these appeals but, in countries like Australia where large numbers of immigrants have the right to vote, this temptation will be muted. The author tests her theory by examining the fortunes of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party in the 1998 Federal Election. Copyright. Monash University and the author/s