Why some people follow authoritarian leaders, and stop the key
To protect democracy and deal with the attractiveness of authority, people’s fear and insecurity reduces psychology research
Nikita John Creagh / Getty Images
Donald Trump confirmations may, perhaps more than any other event in modern history, has entered the focus. From Media Pundits To interviews at the cafes, people are talking about authoritarian leaders. And because of good reasons. Trump President and the warning of being dictator “Day“Along with the attempts to settle power, delete the government’s supervision and to silence its opposition, it is a serious threat to our democratic organizations.
Without reducing the risks of authoritative leaders, my research team studies and other laboratories around the world are threatening for democracy: “Authoritarian followers” instinctively meet the dictator. We need to understand this type of personality so that you can find ways to encourage authoritarian followers to protect democracy.
For more than 80 political psychologists like me have learned authoritarian personality: a collection of attitudes and behavior that an increase in the suspicion of authoritarian leaders of authority. We have found that authoritarian followers share three trends: they meet the authorities figures in their group (called authoritarian document); they punish (authoritarian attack); and long-standing habits (conventionalism) accepts rigorously.
To help Science Journalism
If you enjoy this article, consider entering award-winning journalism Subscribe. By purchasing subscription, you are helping to ensure the future of stories about the discoveries and ideas that are conformed to today.
Working from my laboratory and others reveal authoritarian followers to express many anti-democratic attitudes Anti-gay prejudice, Immigrant attitudes, Generalized prejudice, nationalism as well as Belief of conspiracies. Although the works seen in Voters in 2024 wait, the authoritarian followers were more to vote Trump Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden in the previous two elections. Thus authoritarian followers are powerful forces within the Maga movement.
Why do people become authoritarian followers? Some research indicate that It is authoritarianism. For example, the correlation between twin authorship is five times higher among monozygous twins, and their genetic makeup is almost the same, with the twin of dikygotic, approximately half of the genes. This powerful genetic component The fact that the authoritarian followers do not mean that we are focused on obeying dictators. Authoritarianism also encourage some personalities called for five seconds: experiences, consciousness (continued to pursue order and rules), extraction, agreement (willingness to collaborate with others) and neurotism (anxiety and desire to feel).
It is also important for the essential, social, economic and physical environment. Low levels of experience and high levels related to a safe environment and threat and threat. When we think that the world is unstable and safe, we look for ways to recover control. Unfortunately, for our democratic organizations, it is a way to establish a control sense for our democratic organizations, making a dictator and becoming an authoritarian follower.
It seems that the right policy is an attractive desire for authoritarian followers to restore stability and turn off perceived threats. For example, mistrust with fear and immigrants has been a nucleus that guide the ultimate return to the right extreme return. Brexit internal movements, Rise of Alternative to Germany (AFD)The successes of Marine Le Pen in France, and Donald Trump returned to power in 2024 that the fears of the voters gave our lives under threat. Against attacks against transsexual rights and call initiatives are also rooted in the face of traditional values.
What can people do to deal with the latest global surgeries of authoritarian leaders and followers? As an educator, it is my first instinct to increase the political knowledge of the people, the democratic values of tolerance, pluralism and democratic values to adhere to the rule of law. This approach can go back. Research on this topic shows that the increase in education and political knowledge can make authoritarian followers, not less, indicating anti-democratic attitudes. For example, a US study found Relationship between two main features of authoritarianism and conservatives are stronger among those who are known about politics.
Otherwise, they could use democracy defenders “jiujitsu“Aimed at motivations below anti-democratic beliefs. For example, authoritarianism creates the need to alleviate the perceived threats in the environment, as people are safer. Actually, a Published new study My colleagues and I show that the diversity of the neighborhood negatively relate to authoritarianism. Multicultural neighborhoods are likely to make people from different backgrounds to complete close friendships. Also, these experiences dismisses concerns that immigrants threaten cultural values or take jobs.
Other works suggest to send followers to the authoritative impetus to send and adapt to group regulations for social benefit. For example, Singapore research-There authorities accept multiculturalism: the authoritarian follower shows that it supports cultural diversity. As Work from Poland The authoritarian followers accept the lecture of the LGBTQ community, Muslim and African, and African members of the members of the African people, because this enemy rhetoric violates social norms. These studies show that in certain limited conditions, leaders can take advantage of sponsors of sponsors of followers of followers.
Despite the return of Trump power, it has been a great interest in authority, social scientists have long been struggling with the origin. Their view envisions us what the next four years will look like, as well as identify ways to deal with the challenges they come. Democracy rarely fall into the hands of a single individual. Rather, it dies through the concerns and obedience between the authoritarian followers. We need to help them follow the better angels. As the historian Timothy Snyder has warned, “most of the power of authority is freely given”.
This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views indicated by the author or authors are not necessarily American scientific.
