Colonial past,voluntary association and far-right voting in France

We examine whether linked pluralism – association membership along cross-cutting lines – reduces the likelihood of voting for the far right. Data come from surveys of European ex-colonials (pieds noirs) conducted after the French national elections of 2002, 2007 and 2012. Results confirm that pied-noir support for far-right candidates in presidential and parliamentary elections greatly exceeded the average. This pattern was mediated by membership in voluntary associations: far-right voting was significantly higher among those whose association membership insulated them from countering influences. Our study demonstrates the importance for far-right studies of the distinction between bridging and bonding social capital. The effects on politics of France's colonial legacy depend on association membership, which can either uphold or cross social cleavages.