Does proportional representation (PR) increase the influence of radical right politics? Most of the current literature exploring the relationship between electoral systems and the radical right argues that PR increases the radical right’s influence because it increases their representation. However, this argument mistakes representation for influence. PR is more likely to give far-right parties electoral representation, but it does not necessarily increase the influence of the far-right compared to majoritarian systems. This article explores two explanations for this. First, in PR systems, the radical rights' influence is often limited either by forced compromise in coalitions or by being excluded from government entirely. Second, under majoritarian systems, center right parties are more vulnerable to being captured by the radical right, as seen by the present state of the British Conservative Party.

This article tests these arguments using the case studies of the UK as the majoritarian system and New Zealand as the proportional system. The analysis tracks the appearance of radical right election promises in mainstream conservative party platforms between 2010 and 2020. It finds that the conservative party in the UK is over three times more likely to adopt the radical right party’s policies than the conservative party in New Zealand. This suggests that majoritarian systems are not gatekeepers for the radical right as often suggested but are instead still vulnerable to the influence of the radical right.