The AfD's Winning Formula - No Need for Economic Strategy Blurring in Germany

Western European Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs) have addressed the dispersed socio-economic status of their electorates by blurring their economic positioning. This contribution analyses the rise of the German PRRP Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) between 2013 and 2017 and the role of its economic policy platform. In contrast to its European peers, the AfD shows few signs of economic strategy blurring. The party offers clear antiredistribution policies that are matched by AfD voters' preferences: even the least affluent AfD supporters have stronger preferences for lower redistribution than the most affluent non-AfD supporters. For AfD supporters with lower socio-economic positions this means that they support economic policies that are against their economic interests. Extreme authoritarian cultural policies spiced up with criticism of the establishment and combined with a general opposition to redistribution can be identified as the AfD’s winning formula. Within the Western European PRRP party family, this winning formula directed at supporters with lower socioeconomic positions constitutes an exception

The difficulties of universal redistribution in times of welfare chauvinism

Previous studies have found substantial support across Europe for the creation of a universal basic income system. Yet as Matthias Diermeier and Judith Niehues explain, there is also widespread support for restricting the access of immigrants to state benefits. Drawing on new research, they assess how these two perspectives shape wider attitudes toward welfare

Not punishment or revenge, but stone-cold sober calculations: the EU will drive a hard bargain

Having triggered Article 50 of the EU Treaty, the British government officially kicked off the Brexit negotiations on March 29. Until today, both parties pretended not to give in and instead promised a tough negotiation strategy. Game theory offers one way of testing the reliability of these claims and allowing the negotiations to be seen for what they are: a strategically driven, tactical game in which each side attempts to realise their own interests, write Berthold Busch, Matthias Diermeier, Henry Goecke, and Michael Hüther

The AfD’s Winning Formula — No Need for Economic Strategy Blurring in Germany

Western European Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs) have addressed the dispersed socio-economic status of their electorates by blurring their economic positioning. This contribution analyses the rise of the German PRRP Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) between 2013 and 2017 and the role of its economic policy platform. In contrast to its European peers, the AfD shows few signs of economic strategy blurring. The party offers clear antiredistribution policies that are matched by AfD voters' preferences: even the least affluent AfD supporters have stronger preferences for lower redistribution than the most affluent non-AfD supporters. For AfD supporters with lower socio-economic positions this means that they support economic policies that are against their economic interests. Extreme authoritarian cultural policies spiced up with criticism of the establishment and combined with a general opposition to redistribution can be identified as the AfD’s winning formula. Within the Western European PRRP party family, this winning formula directed at supporters with lower socioeconomic positions constitutes an exception

Oil price effects on land use competition: an empirical analysis

The increasing use of food commodities for biofuel production may intensify the competition for arable land. To test this hypothesis we analyze the effects of crude oil prices on prices, areas and quantities of selected food commodities empirically. On the world level the crude oil price Granger causes an increasing area use for the production of maize, soybean oil, sugar and wheat. For the U.S., we find that the maize price is the key variable influencing the total area used for cereal production. In Indonesia and Malaysia the palm oil price has effects on the cultivated area for rice

Dynamic Q-angle is increased in patients with chronic patellofemoral instability and correlates positively with femoral torsion

PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to evaluate the frontal gait patterns in patients with chronic patellofemoral instability compared to healthy controls. The hypothesis was that internal-rotation-adduction moment of the knee as altered dynamic Q-angle is evident in patients and correlates positively with increased femoral torsion. METHODS Thirty-five patients with symptomatic recurrent patellofemoral instability requiring surgical treatment were matched for average age, sex, and body mass index with 15 healthy controls (30 knees). Several clinical and radiographic measurements were taken from each participant: internal and external rotation (hipIR, hipER), Q-angle, tubercle sulcus angle (TS-angle), femoral antetorsion (femAT), tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, and frontal leg axis. Additionally, three frontal gait patterns were defined and recorded: (1) internal-rotation-adduction moment of the knee during normal walking, (2) dynamic valgus of the knee, and (3) Trendelenburg's sign in a single-leg squat. Randomized videography was evaluated by three independent blinded observers. Statistical analysis was performed using regression models and comparisons of gait patterns and clinical and radiological measurements. Furthermore, observer reliability was correlated to gradings of radiological parameters. RESULTS Patients showed altered dynamic Q-angle gait pattern during normal walking (p < 0.001) compared to healthy controls (interrater kappa = 0.61), whereas highest observer agreement was reported if femAT was greater than 20° (kappa = 0.85). Logistic regression model revealed higher femAT (18.2° ± 12.5 versus 11.9° ± 7.0 (p = 0.004) as a significant variable, as well as lower TT-TG distance (23.6 mm ± 2.8 vs. 16.6 mm ± 4.9, p = 0.004) on evident dynamic Q-angle gait pattern. Dynamic valgus in a single-leg squat was observed significantly more often in patients (p < 0.001) compared to controls (interrater kappa = 0.7). However, besides the static measured Q-angle as the only significant variable on evident dynamic valgus pattern (13.6° ± 4.6 vs. 10.3° ± 5.2, p = 0.003), no radiological parameter was detected to correlate significantly with dynamic valgus and Trendelenburg's sign (n.s.). CONCLUSIONS Clinical detection of pathologic torsion and bony alignment may be difficult in patients with patellofemoral instability. The present study demonstrated that dynamic Q-angle gait pattern is significantly altered in patients with chronic patellofemoral instability compared to healthy controls. Moreover, dynamic Q-angle correlates positively with higher femoral torsion and negatively with higher TT-TG distance. Therefore, clinical and radiological assessment of maltorsion should be added to the standard diagnostic workup in cases of patellofemoral instability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II