The Trump effect: New study connects white American intolerance and support for authoritarianism

[tenderfoot]

The research suggests that when intolerant white people fear democracy may benefit marginalized people, they abandon their commitment to democracy.

Since the founding of the United States, politicians and pundits have warned that partisanship is a danger to democracy. George Washington, in his Farewell Address, worried that political parties, or factions, could "allow cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men" to rise to power and subvert democracy. More recently, many political observers are concerned that increasing political polarization on left and right makes compromise impossible, and leads to the destruction of democratic norms and institutions.

A new study, however, suggests that the main threat to our democracy may not be the hardening of political ideology, but rather the hardening of one particular political ideology. Political scientists Steven V. Miller of Clemson and Nicholas T. Davis of Texas A&M have released a working paper titled "White Outgroup Intolerance and Declining Support for American Democracy." Their study finds a correlation between white American's intolerance, and support for authoritarian rule. In other words, when intolerant white people fear democracy may benefit marginalized people, they abandon their commitment to democracy.

<snip>

Trump's nativist language made the GOP's sympathies more explicit, leading to further erosion of support among non-white voters. George W. Bush won 35 percent of Hispanic voters in 2000; Trump won only 28 percent. His showing with Asian-American voters was only 27 percent — worse than any winning presidential candidate on record.

White people continue to decrease as a percentage of the U.S. population; at some point, it's going to be impossible to win a national, democratic American election with a platform that alienates people of color. The GOP, seeing their coming demographic apocalypse, has pushed voter ID laws and other barriers to voting to try to prevent black and other minority voters from getting to the polls. In Wisconsin, Republican Governor Scott Walker even attempted to delay elections for state seats that he believed Democrats would win.

<snip>

Blaming authoritarianism on partisanship suggests that both sides are equally to blame for the erosion of democratic norms. But greater commitment to abortion rights and free healthcare in the Democratic party isn't a threat to the foundations of democracy. The growing concentration of intolerant white voters in the GOP, on the other hand, has created a party which appears less and less committed to the democratic project. When faced with a choice between bigotry and democracy, too many Americans are embracing the first while abandoning the second.

"Social intolerance isn't just leading to GOP support as we know it and see it now," Miller says. "It's leading to preferences in favor of the kind of candidate the GOP ultimately nominated and supported for president." In embracing the politics of white identity, then, the GOP made a Trump possible — and is likely to make more Trump-like candidates successful in the future.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-effect-new-study-connects-white-american-intolerance-support-authoritarianism-ncna877886

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[Kingofalldems]

2. Here you go:

[Mr.Bill]

6. He'll be dead soon.

[CakeGrrl]

3. Trump: The Great White Supremacist Hope

His minions are scared to death of being turned into the minority, of competing with, of being overrun by minorities.

That's why Trump plays to their single-minded, elemental fears.

I'm watching "1968" right now and just heard a white worker say of the candidacy of George Wallace that 'the Negro has gotten out of hand' and that Wallace would bring 'law and order'.

They're using the same racist playbook, and Trump is playing the tune that scared whites want to hear.

They don't care that he's a liar, a criminal, a grifter, a sex predator.

They care that he's protecting 'their' America from the threat of the blacks and the browns and restoring it to the greatness of white dominance.

That's why calls to remove him are met with death threats. Trump is their best hope to make this happen.

[Volaris]

4. I didn't need a study to tell us this...

When rush gets on the air and says liberals are the Devils Offspring, u think the idiots who listen to him are gonna be willing to let their leaders cut useful deals with us?
Fuck no. Simple as that. I'm glad there's academic proof now that didn't exist before, but who here thinks Average Republican is gonna (firstly) read it, let alone say 'holy shit...I've been an asshole to my fellow citizens AND MYSELF for 40 years...I gotta go vote for the Baby-killer next time for sure'.

Not gonna happen. And building bridges is a worthless exercise with people who think canyons are just awesome and that if God wanted them crossed, we'd all be able to fly.

[Kind of Blue]

10. +1000. Reminds me of an OP from a while ago

about a long running Twitter thread citing "new studies" that African-Americans have been saying forever. https://www.democraticunderground.com/118750901

[StevieM]

5. Trump did not win 28 percent of the Latino vote.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-pedraza-latino-vote-20170111-story.html

[sandensea]

8. That reminds me of Rove's tall tale about Dubya's getting "44%" of the Latino vote.

The media at first generally agreed it was no more than 41% (if that). But by 2008, even the librul media was parroting Rove's fictitious 44% number - and it has stuck.

Now, every time some GOP talking head gets on cable news to discuss Republicans' (self-inflicted) demographic problem, they always ask rhetorically:

"What should Republicans do to get 44% of the Hispanic vote, like Dubya did!"

[sandensea]

7. You see this in other countries with eroding white majorities: right-wing radicalization.

[Puzzler]

9. Good post!

-Puzzler