Tyranny in America? Explaining the Authoritarian Turn in Electoral Politics

• In Event: Fear of Crime and National Politics

Abstract

Scholars have pointed to a turn towards authoritarianism in American politics since the 2016 Presidential elections. The “normal” in US politics has been redefined with increasingly violent rhetoric against opponents, legislations curtailing civil and political rights, and demonization of racial/ ethnic minority groups. Some have called this a crisis of representative democracy and the birth of a new authoritarian mode of politics.
Political scientists have focused on party politics and partisanship as the crucial variables. Commentators have also suggested that the public insecurity especially with perceptions of a rise in violent crime, as well as perceptions of threat brought by rising immigration, are connected with increased support for conservative political figures.
Here we present an analysis of a set of socio-economic and political factors in explaining the rise of extremism in electoral politics. Using county-level support for President Trump in the 2020 elections as a proxy measure for authoritarian beliefs, we test a series of alternative hypotheses emphasizing immigration and other demographic changes, structural racism, violent crime, increasing economic inequality, and anomic conditions. Results offer important and timely insight in advance of the 2024 election. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Authors

• Vincent Ferraro, Framingham State University

• Saran Ghatak, Illinois Institute of Technology