Honors Theses
Ideological Extremism, Conspiratorial Thought, and Support for Authoritarianism in the United States
Date of Award
Winter 12-9-2022
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Robert Brown
Second Advisor
Miles T. Armaly
Third Advisor
Robert Barnard
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Since the nation’s founding, Americans have tended to take democracy for granted. People see democracy as a given, believing that adherence to democratic values will persist. However, in the past few election cycles, there has been a trend in support for authoritarianism in the United States – not just with political leaders and figures, but also with individuals susceptible to authoritarian values and signals. This thesis seeks to address this apparent threat of authoritarianism in the United States, delving into possible factors that play a role in the growing support for authoritarian attitudes among Americans. I believe that two phenomena play a significant role in the rise in authoritarianism: conspiratorial thinking and ideological extremism, both of which have also grown increasingly prevalent. I theorize that conspiratorial thinking, ideological extremism, and authoritarianism are linked through a common ingroup/outgroup mentality that gives people a shared framework for how they relate to the political environment. Further, I examine whether conspiratorial thinking and ideological extremism can reinforce each other’s effects on support for authoritarianism. To assess these linkages, I utilized data from a national survey conducted in February 2021. My initial analysis shows support for one of my two hypotheses. Conspiratorial thinking has a significant and positive effect on authoritarianism; ideological extremism does not. Additional analysis shows that conspiratorial thinking and ideological extremism do, in fact, have a reinforcing effect on support for authoritarianism. These results suggest that there is no simple solution to addressing authoritarianism without addressing aspects of the political environment that contribute to conspiratorial thought and ideological extremism.
Recommended Citation
Martino, Sophie N., "Ideological Extremism, Conspiratorial Thought, and Support for Authoritarianism in the United States" (2022). Honors Theses. 2805.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2805
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