The political spillover of workplace democratization: How democratic efficacy at the workplace contributes to countering right-wing extremist attitudes in Germany

Abstract

Right-wing extremist attitudes are a severe challenge to democracies and trade union movements around the world. Moreover, changes in the world of work, economic insecurities, and the effects of globalized capitalism – all bread-and-butter topics for trade unions – are a breeding ground for right-wing extremism also in countries with comparatively strong social security and co-determination rights like Germany. In this article, the authors focus on democratic efficacy at the workplace as a protective factor against far-right politicisation among workers. They argue that experiencing control and influence on decision-making at the workplace is related to lower right-wing extremist attitudes. The article introduces a new measure employed in a representative survey in Germany and same, influence of union membership is not a hypothesis anymore. The findings strongly suggest that perceived democratic efficacy at the workplace reduces right-wing extremist attitude. This holds even when authoritarianism and standard socio-demographics are controlled for. The findings suggest an empowerment effect of efficacy experiences at the workplace. Such empowerment makes it less ‘necessary’ for individuals to devalue out-groups and deisre strong a (national) leadership. Practical implications and limitations of the study are discussed.