Contentious politics and congruence across policy and public spheres: the case of Muslims in France

Abstract

The politics around Muslims is particularly contentious in France, where Republicanism and secularism dominate the debate. In this study, we examine how the politics of Muslims finds its way across policy and public spheres. First, we discuss the societal dynamics that contributed to the presence of Muslims. Second, we provide a first estimate of how French citizens as a whole respond to the contentious politics of Muslims and what their aggregate opinions are vis-à-vis Muslims. Third, we discuss how parties and policies reflect the growing Muslim migration. In this regard, we design a unique measure of the policy space related to the contentious politics of Muslims. We find initial indications of democratic congruence between what citizens want and what governments give them. Altogether, we present vital insights related to the contentious politics of Muslims, and more generally the relationship between policy and public spheres in this domain.