De Oliveira Santos, D., & Jost, J. T. (2024).
Communications Psychology, 2(1).
Abstract
Based on theory and research in political psychology, we hypothesized that liberal-conservative differences in right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and political system justification would contribute to asymmetries in anti-democratic tendencies. These hypotheses were tested in a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults (N = 1557). Results revealed that conservatives were less supportive of political equality and legal rights and guarantees and more willing to defect from democratic “rules of the game” and vote for anti-democratic candidates, even after adjusting for political extremism. Mediational analyses suggested that conservatives’ anti-democratic tendencies were partially attributable to higher levels of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation. Conservatives also scored higher in political system justification, which was associated with support for free speech and mitigated anti-democratic tendencies. Democrats and Republicans who approved January 6, 2021, insurrectionists were more conservative and higher in right-wing authoritarianism than those who did not. Implications for social psychology and society are discussed.
Here are some thoughts:
This research study investigated ideological asymmetries in pro- and anti-democratic sentiments among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. The findings revealed that conservatives were less supportive of political equality and legal rights, and more willing to deviate from democratic norms and vote for anti-democratic candidates, even after accounting for political extremism.
These anti-democratic tendencies were partially attributed to higher levels of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) among conservatives. Interestingly, conservatives also scored higher in political system justification (PSJ), which was associated with support for free speech and mitigated anti-democratic tendencies.
The study examined seven different indicators of pro- and anti-democratic sentiment, providing a comprehensive view of how political orientation affects various aspects of democratic support. Mediational analyses showed that RWA and SDO significantly mediated the negative effects of political conservatism on democratic principles, while PSJ played a role in maintaining support for democratic norms.
The research also explored attitudes towards the January 6, 2021 insurrectionists, finding that both Democrats and Republicans who approved of them were more conservative and higher in RWA than those who disapproved.
Overall, this study provides evidence of an ideological asymmetry in adherence to democratic norms and principles in the United States, contributing to our understanding of the relationship between political ideology and support for democracy.
