L. O. Rollicke

Liberal ideas, institutions, and orders are being challenged globally and in diverse ways. Based on cluster analysis, this paper identifies four clusters of contestants challenging the liberal script: “Fundamentalists“, „Authoritarian Populists“, „Market-Sceptic Egalitarians“, and „Identity-Focused Contestants“. These clusters group diverse actors based on their critiques of liberal principles, epistemological standpoints, intensity of their contestation, identities and emotions. The Fundamentalists pose the greatest challenge to the liberal script, rejecting most liberal principles and endorsing alternative scripts. The Authoritarian Populists instead predominantly contest equal moral weight and civil rights. The Market- Sceptic Egalitarians critique the capitalist market economy for producing material inequalities. Lastly, the Identity-Focused Contestants focus on either constructing national identities or challenging the oppression of minority groups, often criticising liberal authorities for being “hypocritical”. The paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of the diversity of contestants that is useful for researching the causes and consequences of contestations within liberal societies.