Work

When Politics Enters the Waiting Room: Far-Right Electoral Victories Exacerbate Discrimination in Access to Healthcare

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Far-right political shifts have been linked to increased racism, raising concerns about their impact on minority access to public services. This study investigates whether far-right electoral victories encourage discrimination by street-level bureaucrats, who are expected to act impartially. We conducted a nested research design in Italy, combining a field-experimental audit with a regression discontinuity design focused on municipalities near the electoral threshold for far-right mayors. Research assistants with native-Italian and West-African accents contacted municipal healthcare offices to request registration with a general medical practitioner. Compared to native-Italian callers, those with West-African accents faced significantly higher rates of scrutiny and dismissive responses. Leveraging close elections, we find that this disparity was exacerbated in municipalities where far-right candidates narrowly won. These findings demonstrate that far-right electoral success can undermine impartiality and equal access to essential services.

Source: American Political Science Review

DOI: 10.1017/s0003055426101907

Authors: MERLIN SCHAEFFER, ALESSIO ROMARRI, DINA ROSENBERG, KRZYSZTOF KRAKOWSKI

Institutions: University of Copenhagen, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Rowan University, Collegio Carlo Alberto

Language: English

Topic: Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550