10 Comments

  1. I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

    Liberal-conservative asymmetries in anti-democratic tendencies are partly explained by psychological differences in a nationally representative U.S. sample

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00096-3

    From the linked article:

    A recent study published in Communications Psychology has found that anti-democratic tendencies in the United States are not evenly distributed across the political spectrum. According to the research, conservatives exhibit stronger anti-democratic attitudes than liberals, and this difference can be partially explained by psychological traits, specifically right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation.

    The findings revealed significant differences between conservatives and liberals in their support for democratic principles. Conservatives, compared to liberals, were less supportive of political equality and legal rights and guarantees. In other words, conservatives were less likely to agree with statements such as “Everyone should be allowed to vote” and “The law should treat everyone the same, regardless of wealth or power.”

    Conservatives were also more likely to endorse actions that defy democratic norms, such as voting for candidates who reject the legitimacy of elections and being more willing to justify political violence. In particular, they were more likely to agree with statements such as “The true American way of life is disappearing so fast that we may have to use force to save it” and “I support the use of violence to ensure my party’s candidate wins the 2024 presidential election” compared to liberals.

  2. phasepistol on

    Kinda makes all that bipartisanship seem like a mistake doesn’t it. How do you find compromise with them that’s trying to destroy you

  3. Zelda_is_Dead on

    I mean, anyone paying attention the last 10 or so years could have written this study. They aren’t trying to hide it anymore, they want a dictatorship.

  4. Eire_ninja_warrior on

    Isn’t it right wingers typically rail against ‘big government’, whereas left wingers rail against ‘corporate greed’?

  5. Conservatives generally love “freedom,” but only individual freedoms (their freedoms) and not the freedom of all citizens.

    Fascism is a far right authoritarian ideology, that’s not a coincidence.

  6. varnell_hill on

    > If conservatives become convinced they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.

    -David Frum

  7. sundogmooinpuppy on

    For the first time in my life I am scared in the USA. So disgusted with so many of my fellow Americans,

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