Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/271903 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 10259
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
Does social capital always promote solidarity and democracy, or are social networks such as sports clubs also vulnerable to populism? We exploit quasi-experimental variation in sports club membership in German cities. Sports clubs are booming in cities with successful soccer teams which pass the promotion threshold for a higher division, but not where teams marginally missed on promotion. Difference-in-differences estimations show that far-right populists enjoy more support in cities with higher sports club membership rates in the wake of marginally promoted soccer teams. The populist momentum is however rather short-living, indicating that sports clubs intensify group polarization but are not a spot of permanent radicalization.
Subjects: 
social capital
sports clubs
populism
Gemany
JEL: 
D71
D72
Z20
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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