Authoritarianism, Threat, and Americans’ Support for the War on Terror

Abstract

In the years following 9/11, surveys have revealed high levels of public support for policies related to the war on terror that, many argue, contravene long‐standing American ideals. Extant research would suggest that such preferences result from the activation of authoritarianism. That is, the terrorist attacks caused those predisposed toward intolerance and aggression to become even more intolerant and aggressive. However, using data from two national surveys, we find that those who score high in authoritarianism do not become more hawkish or less supportive of civil liberties in response to perceived threat from terrorism; they tend to have such preferences even in the absence of threat. Instead, those who are less authoritarian adopt more restrictive and aggressive policy stands when they perceive threat from terrorism. In other words, many average Americans become susceptible to “authoritarian thinking” when they perceive a grave threat to their safety.

Who Decides When The Party Doesn’t? Authoritarian Voters and the Rise of Donald Trump

“…But today's insiders may be replaced by a new cadre of leaders who speak to and for the newly empowered authoritarian faction of the Republican Party that rose to power as a result of the party's failure to decide in 2016. Hetherington ( 2009 ;2011), Stenner ( 2005, and Feldman ( 1997 ;2003 ).…”

“…Hetherington et al ( 2011 ;2009 ) assert, as did Lipset ( 1959 ) and countless other students of authoritarianism, that physical threats are also drivers of authoritarian attitudes and behavior.…”

“…These questions fi rst appeared on the 1992 ANES survey and have since been used by some authoritarian scholars to estimate authoritarianism (Feldman and Stenner 1997 ;Hetherington and Suhay 2011 ;Hetherington and Weiler 2009 ;Stenner 2005 ). 9 These questions tap deep-seated preconceptions about children and child rearing: whether it is more important for a child to be respectful or independent, obedient or self-reliant, well-behaved or considerate, and well-mannered or curious.…”

Fear and Attitudes Towards Torture and Preventive War

“…A common argument in the existing literature on hawkishness and priming is that the public somewhat uniformly responds in predictable ways to messages of danger or threat. The findings above suggest otherwise (see also Hetherington & Suhay, 2011).…”

Influence of Intragroup Dynamics and Intergroup Relations on Authenticity in Organizational and Social Contexts: A Review of Conceptual Framework and Research Evidence

“…During this period, Americans became more hawkish in their attitudes towards international affairs and more strongly supported restrictions to civil liberties (e.g., the Patriot Act), which made them feel more secure. Moreover, the increased support for these policies associated with the war on terror occurred more strongly for people who were authentically low in authoritarianism measures (Hetherington & Suhay, 2011); under threat, their attitudes aligned inauthentically with those high in authoritarianism, who already held these positions.…”