Democracy at the End of Times: The Political Psychology of Global Collapse

• In Event: (Anti)Democracy

Abstract

Can democracy survive when people become convinced that human civilisation will soon end? This paper investigates the relationship between global collapse anticipation and pro-democratic attitudes using cross-sectional and experimental online survey designs with 4 x 400 participants from the US and the UK. The motivation for this research comes from the realisation (backed by data) that there is widespread public expectation of collapse fuelled especially by the media and related to climate change, biodiversity loss, runaway technologies, artificial intelligence, nuclear war, and new diseases

While potential material effects from speculative global crises and existential risks are increasingly studied, psychological effects of the already existing "collapse atmosphere" on political system have have been overlooked. Learning more about them will help to make sure that these risks do not erode our democracies before they even materialise.

Author

• Sadi Shanaah, University of Warwick