Extremism of the centre

Jürgen R. Winkler ranks Lipset's theory, together with the work of Richard Hofstadter (The Pseudo-Conservative Revolt), as an important theory in the research of right-wing extremism. Similar to the theories of relative deprivation, Lipset's theory concerns the belonging of individuals to collectives, their perceptions of their economic and social situation, and their mental state. According to Winkler, Lipset's theory, in which people who see their status as at risk are prone to supporting right-wing extremist movements, is very influential within this research.

The socioeconomic analysis Hitlers Wähler (1991) by Jürgen W. Falter puts the middle class thesis of the rise of Nazism into perspective. Falter found out that while indeed 40% of Nazi voters came from the middle class, the working class also represented a significant voter group. The most significant social characteristic of a Nazi Party voter was religious denomination, with Protestants voting for the Nazis much more than Catholics.

In the 1990s, the term became a political buzzword in Germany, which was used alongside a criticism of society in general. With their positioning in the discussions about Leitkultur, multiculturalism, nation and immigration, and the political and economic elites, and not the far-right parties themselves, are said to promote far-right ideas, and this prepares the way to an authoritarian society.