Abstract

With the rise of populist parties in several European countries, the societal risks associated with a declining acceptance of democratic political systems are currently receiving increasing attention. Individual experiences of economic vulnerability and social exclusion are considered key to the formation of political and democratic alienation. A large body of sociological and social policy literature has shown that being dependent on welfare benefits is associated with economic hardship and social exclusion in multiple ways. The project addresses the relationship between welfare dependency and attitudes toward democratic institutions. We examine whether and in what respect political alienation is more pronounced among welfare benefit recipients than among non-recipients and to what extent this can be attributed to individual experiences of social exclusion.