Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Discussion Paper Series in Economics,
Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics

No 14/2026: The Stories We Tell: Societal Narratives and Support for the Far Right

Malte Baader (), Kai Barron (), Anna Hochleitner () and Jonas P. Kaiser ()
Additional contact information
Malte Baader: Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Postal: NHH, Department of Economics, Helleveien 30, N-5045 Bergen, Norway
Kai Barron: ESCP Business School, Postal: ESCP Business School, WZB Berlin, Reichpietschufer, 50, 10785, Berlin, Germany
Anna Hochleitner: Centre for Applied Research, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Postal: NHH, Centre for Applied Research, Helleveien 30, N-5045 Bergen, Norway
Jonas P. Kaiser: The Technical University of Berlin, Postal: The Technical University of Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135 , 10623 Berlin, Germany

Abstract: In two studies using AI-assisted qualitative interviews, we ask a representative sample of the German electorate (N = 1, 013) to reflect on the most important societal events of the last 15 years. We document that far-right supporters construct systematically different narratives about the recent past. First, they recall different events—with a strong focus on migration-related issues. Second, even when they do consider the same events, they are more likely to blame the establishment and describe events more negatively and with greater emotional intensity. We further document that these narratives are associated with policy preferences, and that far-right supporters are more inclined than supporters of other parties to prioritize cultural over economic issues. Together, our findings reveal that partisan divides extend to how citizens remember and interpret shared national experiences.

Keywords: Polarization; Narratives; AI-Assisted Qualitative Interviews; Explanations; Mental Models

JEL-codes: C90; D01; D84

Language: English

47 pages, September 18, 2026

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