New Books in Political Science Steffen Mau et al., "The Trigger Points: Inequality and Political Polarization in Contemporary Society" (Policy Press, 2026)
May 8, 2026
Linus Westhäuser, senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute who studies social and political conflicts, discusses how citizens hold nuanced, middle‑of‑the‑road views. He maps four conflict arenas: migration, climate, diversity, and economic justice. He explains how specific trigger points ignite debate and how social inequality underpins contemporary political tensions.
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Look For The Fuzzy Middle To Open Politics
- Reframe public debates away from tribe narratives to reveal contested middle ground and political volatility.
- Linus Westhäuser suggests that recognizing fuzziness opens space for alternative political projects beyond radical-right dominance.
Redistribution Is Politically Demobilized
- Top versus bottom is a demobilized redistribution arena where class awareness exists but collective action is weak.
- Without strong left institutions or unions, grievances about rents and corporate profits translate into 'punching down' against welfare recipients, not demands on elites.
Migration Combines Polarization And Consensus
- Migration (inside versus outside) contains high-salience polarization but also broad tacit consensus on limits and conditional deservingness.
- Debates pivot on which migration realities people emphasize (threats versus success stories), despite shared support for integration via language and work.
