Dr Fred Paxton
- Research Fellow (Political & International Studies)
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448Biography
Fred Paxton joined the University of Glasgow in September 2024. He is working on a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship titled Identity at the roots: place-based identity politics in divided societies.
Fred was awarded his PhD from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy in 2021. His work has been published in leading journals including Political Science Research and Methods, Democratization,and Government and Opposition. His first book, Restrained Radicals: Populist Radical Right Parties in Local Government, was published in 2023 by Cambridge University Press.
Research interests
- Populism
- Radical (left and right) parties
- Subnational (regional and local) politics
- Social media and online political communication
- Social movements and movement parties
Research groups
Publications
2026
Mosca, Lorenzo, Mikola, Bálint, Paxton, Fred 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448, Vlasie, Claudiu and Mercea, Dan
(2026)
How movement parties contest democratic backsliding: evidence from Hungary and Romania.
Democratization,
(doi: 10.1080/13510347.2026.2651364)
(Early Online Publication)
Peace, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5834-9251 and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2026)
Local election results show the hurdles along the path to power for French far right.
Conversation,
24 Mar.
(doi: 10.64628/AB.ecur3hmvq)
2025
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448 and Peace, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5834-9251
(2025)
Localism as a strategy: symbolic policy making by populist radical right parties in Italy and France.
Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, 2025(3),
pp. 481-510.
(doi: 10.1483/118779)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2025)
Movement parties of the far right: understanding nativist mobilization: Castelli Gattinara, Pietro and Andrea L. P. Pirro, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2024, 272 pp., £99.00 (Hardback), ISBN 9780198892083.
Journal of Contemporary European Studies,
(doi: 10.1080/14782804.2025.2538375)[Book Review]
(Early Online Publication)
Drapalova, Eliska and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2025)
Competing over the ‘left behind’: the effect of independent local lists on the electoral performance of populist parties.
Political Research Exchange, 7(1),
2583288.
(doi: 10.1080/2474736X.2025.2583288)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2025)
Right up their street? News media framing of the protest activities of far-right movement parties.
Acta Politica, 60,
pp. 76-97.
(doi: 10.1057/s41269-024-00334-w)
2024
Borbáth, Endre and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2024)
Movement parties in Europe: a comparative assessment.
Acta Politica,
(doi: 10.1057/s41269-024-00381-3)
(Early Online Publication)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2024)
The impact of populist parties in government.
In: Huber, Robert A. and Jankowski, Michael (eds.)
Populism: An Introduction.
SAGE Publications.
ISBN 9781529669879
Peace, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5834-9251 and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2024)
Populist pragmatism: the nationalisation of local government strategies by the Rassemblement National.
Acta Politica, 59,
pp. 264-288.
(doi: 10.1057/s41269-023-00292-9)
2023
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2023)
Restrained Radicals: Populist Radical Right Parties in Local Government.
Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 9781009379113
(doi: 10.1017/9781009379069)
2022
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2022)
With a little help from their friends: the consequences of populists in national government for policymaking in local government.
Government and Opposition, 57(4),
pp. 630-655.
(doi: 10.1017/gov.2021.11)
Hunger, Sophia and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2022)
What's in a buzzword? a systematic review of the state of populism research in political science.
Political Science Research and Methods, 10(3),
pp. 617-633.
(doi: 10.1017/psrm.2021.44)
Pettrachin, Andrea and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2022)
How do populists make decisions? : the Five Star Movement and the Lega in local government during the 'refugee crisis'.
Contemporary Italian Politics, 14(1),
pp. 24-48.
(doi: 10.1080/23248823.2021.2005338)
2021
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448 and Peace, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5834-9251
(2021)
Window dressing? The mainstreaming strategy of the Rassemblement National in power at the local level of government.
Government and Opposition, 56(3),
pp. 545-562.
(doi: 10.1017/gov.2020.11)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2021)
Varieties of inclusionary and exclusionary populism in the Italian regional elections 2018-20.
Contemporary Italian Politics, 13(4),
pp. 402-422.
(doi: 10.1080/23248823.2021.1969785)
2020
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2020)
Towards a populist local democracy? The consequences of populist radical right local government leadership in Western Europe.
Representation, 56(3),
pp. 411-430.
(doi: 10.1080/00344893.2019.1643771)
2019
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2019)
The populist performance of urban crisis : the policy influence of radical right populist parties in leadership of local government in Austria and Italy.
In: Biard, B., Bernhard, L. and Betz, Hans Georg (eds.)
Do They Make a Difference? : the Policy Influence of Radical Right Populist Parties in Western Europe.
ECPR Press: London, pp. 123-145.
ISBN 9781785523304
Articles
Mosca, Lorenzo, Mikola, Bálint, Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448, Vlasie, Claudiu and Mercea, Dan
(2026)
How movement parties contest democratic backsliding: evidence from Hungary and Romania.
Democratization,
(doi: 10.1080/13510347.2026.2651364)
(Early Online Publication)
Peace, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5834-9251 and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2026)
Local election results show the hurdles along the path to power for French far right.
Conversation,
24 Mar.
(doi: 10.64628/AB.ecur3hmvq)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448 and Peace, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5834-9251
(2025)
Localism as a strategy: symbolic policy making by populist radical right parties in Italy and France.
Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, 2025(3),
pp. 481-510.
(doi: 10.1483/118779)
Drapalova, Eliska and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2025)
Competing over the ‘left behind’: the effect of independent local lists on the electoral performance of populist parties.
Political Research Exchange, 7(1),
2583288.
(doi: 10.1080/2474736X.2025.2583288)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2025)
Right up their street? News media framing of the protest activities of far-right movement parties.
Acta Politica, 60,
pp. 76-97.
(doi: 10.1057/s41269-024-00334-w)
Borbáth, Endre and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2024)
Movement parties in Europe: a comparative assessment.
Acta Politica,
(doi: 10.1057/s41269-024-00381-3)
(Early Online Publication)
Peace, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5834-9251 and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2024)
Populist pragmatism: the nationalisation of local government strategies by the Rassemblement National.
Acta Politica, 59,
pp. 264-288.
(doi: 10.1057/s41269-023-00292-9)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2022)
With a little help from their friends: the consequences of populists in national government for policymaking in local government.
Government and Opposition, 57(4),
pp. 630-655.
(doi: 10.1017/gov.2021.11)
Hunger, Sophia and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2022)
What's in a buzzword? a systematic review of the state of populism research in political science.
Political Science Research and Methods, 10(3),
pp. 617-633.
(doi: 10.1017/psrm.2021.44)
Pettrachin, Andrea and Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2022)
How do populists make decisions? : the Five Star Movement and the Lega in local government during the 'refugee crisis'.
Contemporary Italian Politics, 14(1),
pp. 24-48.
(doi: 10.1080/23248823.2021.2005338)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448 and Peace, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5834-9251
(2021)
Window dressing? The mainstreaming strategy of the Rassemblement National in power at the local level of government.
Government and Opposition, 56(3),
pp. 545-562.
(doi: 10.1017/gov.2020.11)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2021)
Varieties of inclusionary and exclusionary populism in the Italian regional elections 2018-20.
Contemporary Italian Politics, 13(4),
pp. 402-422.
(doi: 10.1080/23248823.2021.1969785)
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2020)
Towards a populist local democracy? The consequences of populist radical right local government leadership in Western Europe.
Representation, 56(3),
pp. 411-430.
(doi: 10.1080/00344893.2019.1643771)
Books
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2023)
Restrained Radicals: Populist Radical Right Parties in Local Government.
Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 9781009379113
(doi: 10.1017/9781009379069)
Book Sections
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2024)
The impact of populist parties in government.
In: Huber, Robert A. and Jankowski, Michael (eds.)
Populism: An Introduction.
SAGE Publications.
ISBN 9781529669879
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2019)
The populist performance of urban crisis : the policy influence of radical right populist parties in leadership of local government in Austria and Italy.
In: Biard, B., Bernhard, L. and Betz, Hans Georg (eds.)
Do They Make a Difference? : the Policy Influence of Radical Right Populist Parties in Western Europe.
ECPR Press: London, pp. 123-145.
ISBN 9781785523304
Book Reviews
Paxton, Fred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-8448
(2025)
Movement parties of the far right: understanding nativist mobilization: Castelli Gattinara, Pietro and Andrea L. P. Pirro, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2024, 272 pp., £99.00 (Hardback), ISBN 9780198892083.
Journal of Contemporary European Studies,
(doi: 10.1080/14782804.2025.2538375)[Book Review]
(Early Online Publication)
Prior publications
Book Section
Lorenzo Mosca, Fred Paxton (2025) The rise of movement parties and their implications for progressive politics Crossref. (doi: 10.4337/9781800880641.00017)
PAXTON, Fred, GLUKHOVA, Daria, HOFFMANN, Matthias, MĂRGĂRIT, Diana, SANTOS, Felipe G. (2025) On movement parties and democratic quality Cadmus, EUI Research Repository. ISBN 9781032767840 (doi: 10.4324/9781003532507-9)
Thesis
PAXTON, Fred (2021) The populist radical right in local power : understanding different forms of local government leadership by populist radical right parties in western Europe Cadmus, EUI Research Repository. (doi: 10.2870/62054)
Grants
Large grants, fellowships and scholarships
|
FIS (Fondo Italiano per la Scienza) Starting Grant Project title: ‘Populism, localism and place-based identities’ (€1.3 million) – awarded and declined. |
2025 |
|
Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship Project title: ‘Identity at the roots: place-based identity politics in divided societies’ (£106,000).
|
2024
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LKAS Leadership Fellowship, University of Glasgow Project number: 201947-41 (£100,000)
|
2024
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Fully funded PhD scholarship, European University Institute (€70,308 grant, €48,000 fees) |
2017 |
Small grants and seed funding
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ESRC Impact Acceleration Account Project title: ‘Navigating Political Change in Local Government’ (£13,722), with support from external partner, The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport
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2026 |
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CLOSER (Center for Laboratory Simulation and Experimental Research), University of Turin Project title: ‘Does Populism Help to Justify Democratic Backsliding? Experimental evidence on populist rhetorical style and acceptance of undemocratic behavior’ (€12,000), with Francesco Colombo (Collegio Carlo Alberto)
|
2026 |
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CIVIS Open Lab Project title: ‘Responding to the Far Right: Local Challenges, Global Perspectives’ (€25,000), with Léonie De Jonge (University of Tübingen), Robert Huber (University of Salzburg), Pietro Castelli Gattinara (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Lamprini Rori (University of Athens)
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2026 |
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Crucible seed funding award, University of Glasgow Project title: ‘Data sonification for research, composition, and communication’ (£7,991), with Maxwell Farrell (University of Glasgow)
|
2025 |
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Crucible seed funding award, University of Glasgow Project title: ‘Glasgow Open Salon for Arts and Sciences (GOSAS)’ (£6,452), with Dieter Declercq, Maxwell Farrell, Alexander Fradera, Joanna Koszela, Jules Lamers (University of Glasgow)
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2025
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British Academy – CNRS Knowledge Frontiers Symposium seed funding Project title: ‘Who innovates, wins? The electoral impact of innovative urban policy’ (£5,000), with Christof Brandtner (EM Lyon)
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2025
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Funding for COVID-related project, European University Institute Project title: 'The Politicisation of Europe during the Pandemic', (€4,060), with Tobias Widmann (Aarhus University) and Ofra Klein (Erasmus University Rotterdam) |
2020 |
Supervision
I am happy to supervise potential PhD students who want to work on any of my research interests:
- Populism
- Radical (left and right) parties
- Subnational (regional and local) politics
- Social media and online political communication
- Social movements and movement parties
Please get in touch to discuss a potential PhD proposal.
Teaching
- Political parties, institutions and society
- Comparative perspectives on populism
- Social movements
- Comparative European politics
