Typology of contestations

Liberal ideas, institutions, and orders are being challenged globally and in diverse ways. Based on cluster analysis, this paper identifies four clusters of contestants challenging the liberal script: “Fundamentalists“, „Authoritarian Populists“, „Market-Sceptic Egalitarians“, and „Identity-Focused Contestants“. These clusters group diverse actors based on their critiques of liberal principles, epistemological standpoints, intensity of their contestation, identities and emotions. In addition, we locate these contestations in a two-dimensional space of global opposition to the liberal script. The paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of the diversity of contestants and how they stand relative to each other that is useful for researching the causes and consequences of contestations within liberal societies.

Michael Zürn is Director of the department of Global Governance at the WZB and Professor of International Relations at the Free University Berlin.

Alexander Schmotz is a research fellow in the department of Global Governance at the WZB.