How Does Government Cooperation Affect Electoral Support for Right-Wing Populist Parties? : A Comparative Case Study of the Sweden Democrats and the Danish People's Party

This thesis presents a comparative case study of the Sweden Democrats (SD) and the Danish People's Party (DF) to examine how participation in government cooperation has affected their electoral support.Based on previous research the study applies three key dimensions: party legitimacy, niche profile, and anti-establishment identity.The findings show that government cooperation contributed to increased party legitimacy for SD, which appears to have stabilized their electoral support in the short term.DF, on the other hand, long considered a legitimate actor in Danish politics, experienced a decline in electoral support after its period of cooperation, as its niche profile was adopted by competing parties.The study concludes that while government cooperation can enhance the legitimacy of populist radical right parties, it may simultaneously erode the political niche and outsider appeal that initially fueled their success.The trajectory of DF raises questions about whether SD might face similar consequences in the longer term.