Political parties

Finally, when knowledge of the Holocaust differed across political parties, it tended to be higher among center-right followers rather than left or socialist adherents, and higher among those with some political identity rather than among those with no political leaning. This was true in France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States about the question on concentration camps, but no difference appeared in Austria or Sweden. On the number of Jewish exterminations, correct responses were more frequent among Republicans in the United States, the Free Democrats and Greens in Germany, those other than the far-right Freedom Party in Austria, and those with some political identity in Poland. No differences occurred in France, Sweden, or the United Kingdom.

In terms of attitudes toward knowledge and teaching, political party affiliation often mattered, but the pattern varied across countries. Support tended to be higher among the Greens and Socialists in Austria and Germany, and, for remembrance only, in France. But it was greater among the Republicans in the United States, among the center-right in Poland and Sweden, and among parties other than Labour in the United Kingdom.

Anti-Semitism was generally seen as a greater problem by the left and Greens in almost all countries except Sweden. Extreme rightist-party supporters, like the backers of Le Pen in France and the far-right Freedom Party in Austria, were least likely to see it as a problem. Beliefs about the possibility of another Holocaust had no regular pattern with party affiliation. It was seen as more likely by the left in Germany and France, but by Republicans in the United States. There was no association in Austria or the United Kingdom, and irregular patterns appeared in Poland and Sweden.

Sympathy toward Jews also had no consistent association with political parties across countries. In Austria, the Socialists had greater sympathy, and the far-right Freedom Party expressed the least. In France, the center-right tended to be more sympathetic, and in Germany there was greater sympathy among the ex-Communists and Free Democrats. In Poland, parties differentiated little, while the Center Party and Christian Democrats in Sweden had the most sympathy and the Socialists the least. In the United States sympathy toward Jews differed little between Democrats and Republicans, and nor was there much political party variation in the United Kingdom.

Political party affiliation related in different ways across countries on the questions regarding whether Jews were thought to be exploiting the Holocaust or seen as having too much influence. In Austria and France, right-leaning parties were more likely to agree with both, while in the United Kingdom and the United States, Labour and the Democrats, respectively, were more likely to agree with both. The other countries did not show a clear and consistent pattern on either measure.

Summary

Across countries knowledge of the Holocaust is generally greater among men, the better-educated, and those with higher incomes. Age and political party have different associations in different nations.

Only a few demographic differences generally prevail across countries, and the same patterns often do not exist across measures. Women are usually more sympathetic than men are toward Jews, and more men than women tend to hold negative images of Jews. Education has the most consistent association, with the better-educated tending to favor remembrance and teaching about the Holocaust, see problems as more serious, and reject negative images. High income is most consistently related to backing knowing and teaching about the Holocaust.

In terms of age, older adults are more likely to express sympathy toward Jews, but are more prone to hold negative images of them. Political party usually makes a difference in attitudes, but most differences are country-specific and even often in the opposite direction across countries. Sometimes adherents of leftist parties and sometimes those of rightist parties (but not far-right parties) take more favorable positions towards Jews.

Tom W. Smith is director of the General Social Survey, National Opinion Research Center. The Memory of the Holocaust Study was designed and commissioned by the American Jewish Committee. This series of articles is based on the report written by Tom W. Smith for the AJC.

Additional reading

Next in Public Opinion Pros: The relationship between knowledge and attitudes.