The study of the rise of radical right parties in the 1980s and 1990s has generally focused on economic change in Western Europe. The economic and political conditions that have led to the rise of radical right parties exist all over Europe. Yet, radical right parties have only been successful in a few countries. The Republikaner party's 2% of the vote is much lower than the National Front's 15% and the Freedom Party's 27% of the vote in recent legislative elections. Why do such a small percentage of voters choose the radical right in Germany? Why is the radical right winning more seats in Austria than in France and Germany? To what extent can institutional differences explain the contrasting electoral results?

Electoral rules and coalition strategies on the part of mainstream parties also play important roles in determining electoral outcomes. The impact of electoral institutions has been neglected in the study of the radical right. This analysis will explain the success of radical right parties in the context of countries' different electoral and party systems.

This study seeks to understand why individuals in similar economic and political environments choose to vote for the radical right in one type of electoral system, yet not in another. The focus is on how individuals and parties respond to different institutional settings, while also considering the role of economic and social factors. Although the geographical focus is Western Europe, the analysis is designed so that the hypotheses can be applicable to other developed countries.