Place, Perception, and Politics. A Geospatial Analysis of Deprivation and Discontent

The importance of place in shaping political attitudes and behaviour is more prominent than ever. Both public and academic discourses suggest that a place’s rurality and economic hardship contribute to political discontent, manifesting in low turnout and increased support for radical-right parties. However, previous studies are often limited in their explanatory power by focusing on a small set of contextual variables, by studying voting behaviour at an aggregate level, or by approaching place with attitudinal measures without accounting for objective conditions. As a result, these studies do not allow us to draw direct conclusions about how and which place-based factors are related to (manifestations of) discontent at the individual level or whether and how subjective perceptions moderate this relationship. This dissertation addresses this gap and challenges deterministic views on place effects by arguing that objective spatial disparities need to interact with subjective perceptions of deprivation to translate into political discontent. The dissertation consists of three articles that underscore this argument by exploring different aspects of the link between place and discontent in Germany, using geocoded survey data and high-resolution place-based information. In the first article, I examine the role of public service provision in shaping political trust, demonstrating that accessibility to essential services influences political attitudes more than economic deprivation. The second article focuses on how subjective perceptions of deprivation influence the relationship between objective place-based deprivation and political trust. Place-based deprivation is only partially associated with political trust, while subjective perceptions amplify its effects. The third article focuses on preferences for radical-right parties instead of political trust. I explore whether living in a left-behind area affects party evaluation differently for individuals who feel left behind, which captures a broader sense of marginalization than geographical location. The findings confirm a reinforcing relationship between living in a left-behind place and feeling left behind, particularly regarding rurality. Overall, the link between place-based factors and political discontent exists. Yet, at the individual level, it is generally weak and varies based on place-based characteristics, studied outcomes, and perceptions of deprivation. My findings underscore the complexity of the relationship between place and political discontent. I contribute to previous research by introducing public service provision as a critical factor and spatial linking methods to integrate fine-grained spatial data with survey data. Distinguishing between political trust and radical-right support offers a more granular understanding of their drivers. Lastly, this dissertation highlights that place alone does not suffice to explain political discontent, but subjective perceptions of deprivation are crucial for understanding place-based effects.