INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS Right-Wing Populism and Authoritarian Nationalism in the U.S. and Europe THOMAS GREVEN May 2017 „ „ Despite recent setbacks, right-wing populism continues to challenge liberal democracies. It can be read as a revolt of those who consider themselves losers of, or feel threatened by, socially unregulated globalization and/or cultural modernization. A common denominator of support for right-wing populism and authoritarian nationalism is a pessimistic outlook on life, which is exacerbated by the politics of fear and anger promoted by right-wing populist leaders, including the»othering« of ethnic minorities. „ „ Political and business elites have for decades let neoliberal globalization go on socially unregulated, to the benefit of the few and the detriment of the many. Right­wing populists promise economic and social protections against economic processes, namely trade and immigration, and a return to the cultural dominance of the ethnic majorities of the respective countries. Pro-globalization elites have not yet found ways to deal with people’s anger with liberalization and with the resentment many feel concerning certain aspects of cultural change. „ „ Economic globalization has produced winners and losers. National strategies cannot remedy this situation, neither the pro-globalization attempt to improve competitiveness nor the protectionism embraced by most right-wing populists. The former continues the ongoing»race to the bottom« of lower corporate taxes, wages and standards(that cannot be ameliorated by national welfare policies as those are costs for governments and business). The latter is likely to lead to a global economic crisis. In order to prevent further revolt and backlash, global rules to socially regulate the global economy(including migration) are needed. Governments should strive for mutual assurances not to lower taxes and standards to increase competitiveness.