The '''ethnic competition thesis''', also known as '''ethnic competition theory''' or '''ethnic competition hypothesis''', is an academic theory that posits that individuals support far-right political parties because they wish to reduce competition from immigrants over scarce resources such as jobs, housing, mating opportunities and welfare benefits.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rydgren | first1 = Jens | last2 = Ruth | first2 = Patrick | title = Voting for the radical right in Swedish municipalities: social marginality and ethnic competition?| journal = Scandinavian Political Studies | volume = 34 | issue = 3 | page = 209 | doi = 10.1111/j.1467-9477.2011.00269.x | date = September 2011 }}</ref> According to the theory, support for the far right should be higher in areas if there are more immigrants and more lower-educated and lower-skilled voters who would face competition from them (because of the relative ease of onboarding in low-skilled jobs, even for a non-integrated foreigner).
Several studies have found support for ethnic competition thesis. A 2011 study by Jens Rydgren and Patrick Ruth found some support for the theory in that support for the far-right Sweden Democrats party was higher in areas where there were a higher number of immigrants.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rydgren | first1 = Jens | last2 = Ruth | first2 = Patrick | title = Voting for the radical right in Swedish municipalities: social marginality and ethnic competition?| journal = Scandinavian Political Studies | volume = 34 | issue = 3 | page = 202 | doi = 10.1111/j.1467-9477.2011.00269.x | date = September 2011 }}</ref> Another study by Abbondanza and Bailo, published in 2018, found similar support for this thesis with the Lega Nord in Northern Italy as a case study.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Abbondanza | first1 = Gabriele | last2 = Bailo | first2 = Francesco | title = The electoral payoff of immigration flows for anti-immigration parties: the case of Italy's Lega Nord | journal = European Political Science | volume = 17 | issue = 3 | pages = 378–403| doi = 10.1057/s41304-016-0097-0 | date = 2018 }}</ref> However, other studies have questioned the link between the number of refugees, number of asylum seekers, or proportion of noncitizens and people born abroad and the success of the far right.<ref>{{cite book | last = Norris | first = Pippa | title = Radical right : voters and parties in the electoral market | publisher = Cambridge University Press | location = New York, New York | year = 2005 | isbn = 9780521613859}}</ref>
==See also== *Modernisation losers thesis *Opposition to immigration *Linked fate
==References== <references /> {{extremeright}}
Category:Far-right politics in Italy Category:Theories of political behavior Category:Sweden Democrats