Die Unterstützung autoritärer Führer kann sich in etablierten Demokratien gesellschaftlich unter den Bürgern verbreiten. Dieser soziale Ansteckungseffekt gibt Aufschluss darüber, wie antidemokratische Gefühle in modernen Gesellschaften plötzlich aufkommen können.
Anti-democratic attitudes are highly contagious, new psychology study finds
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**Anti-democratic attitudes are highly contagious, new psychology study finds**
A new study published in the [*American Journal of Political Science*](https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.70067) suggests that support for authoritarian leaders can spread socially among citizens in established democracies. By exposing individuals to peers with varying political views, researchers found evidence that people tend to adjust their own preference for strongman rule to match the attitudes of those around them. This social contagion effect provides insights into how anti-democratic sentiments can suddenly surge in modern societies.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajps.70067
Well republicans always hated democracy, so it’s an easy transition for them.
A disease for the hard of thinking? I suspect so, using propaganda to propose simple solutions to complex issues. Populism in action.
Hmm. Almost seems like humans are some kind of „social animal“ whose behavior is subject to some sort of „social pressure.“ We should investigate and find out if humans share any other beliefs. It’s possible our previous assumption that humans all arrive at their political positions through totally independent processes was a little hasty.
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When democracy isn’t working out x amount of people will want authoritarian leadership. When authoritarian leadership doesn’t work out y amount of people will want democracy.
All systems are subject to failure and people try to grasp in opposite directions to fix them as they do. Nothing particularly shocking here.
I find it odd that almost 20 years ago I had a history professor tell me that authoritarianism and the acceptance of it is tied to economic stress. Almost like we knew about it. Here we are going through extreme economic inequality. It is expected that people will go to authoritarian. This has been well documented throughout history that when there are economic trouble, people turn to dictators. In today’s economy, it is by design. The rich has so much power that this was the goal. People are scared so they turned to strongmen. Those strong men make the wealthy even wealthier.
It’s actually quite easy to see how this can happen when the government is at loggerheads. People want their leaders to do stuff to make their life better. When that doesn’t happen, the populist/authoritarian message most sound appealing.
People prefer more authoritarian regimes when democracies turn antidemocratic or incompetent before.
this is worded like they believe democracy is the “natural“ way to form a society,
Being gay and trans = not a social contagion
Being a fash = potentially a social contagion
Just remember that.
Especially when you have a powerful algorithm that allows people to instantly meet other people who want authoririan leaders. Then non-state actors can build millions of fake accounts and destabilize a country without ever invading.
We experienced this is Brazil. It is a great interest of my fellow researchers in understanding this so we can propose ways to stop the phenomenon from happening.
It’s billionaires vs democracy.
Who Wins depends on what you do about it.
I guess we could describe this as some sort of meme-genetics… memetics, perhaps?
Isn’t that essentially the playbook though?
„Put cracks in the economy, and plant divisive issues.“
„Degrade the economy, and press the divisive buttons that work.“
„Ruin the economy, and blame the THOSE PEOPLE!“
„Enter Fascism.“
people need to accept that philosopher kings do not exist
It seems people confuse government with religion
How do we take this knowledge as something to be aware of and fight it properly, instead of „oh it’s human nature to become authoritarian“ like some kind of excuse?
Count Binface?
I can’t imagine a group of people more wanting to fit in than a bunch of military recruits housed together. I doubt the effect is as strong in the general population. Nonetheless, a very interesting study.
Historically, at least from high school/college history, social psychology and sociology (I’m old so it might have changed) I was taught that people in dire straights look for a strong leader, IE authoritarian.
Why not talk how democracies start employing anti democratic practices, which leads people to eventually see democracies themselves as failed?
The latest example in the EU, holding a vote on chat surveillance. Majority voted against….. so ofc it passed, because the people who were not there could have voted for, and a super majority was required instead.
Nothing democratic about it, and a clear abuse of the system. If this happens once, sure, but if this becomes standard operations? Well, then you have people cheering on a system change.
How about wannabe authoritarian orange leases?
couldnt have anything to do with the misinformation or operation Mockingbird could it?
I know why I question democracy. Because I’m surrounded by idiots who are not moved by any amount of evidence or history. That my fellow citizens have voluntarily chosen an illiterate demagogue.
25% of people yearn for a boot on their neck.
Read ‘The Authoritarians’. It’s the long version of this article.
which is why i’m trying to utilize social contagion for better purposes. we all can participate in that rather easily.