When Is Anti-democratic Behavior Seen as Appropriate?

• In Event: Evaluating Public Support for Democracy

Abstract

When is anti-democratic behavior seen as appropriate? Growing research shows voters often trade off adherence to democratic norms against other factors such as copartisanship. Yet less is known about which types of undemocratic actions are most likely to gain public support, and under which conditions of threat and opportunity. Using a conjoint experiment with a nationally representative sample, we demonstrate that Americans are strikingly willing to support executive actions undermining accountability in response to physical security crises, such as a terrorist attack or pandemic, while remaining more cautious in the face of socio-economic and political crisis (such as threats to electoral integrity). We also show they are most willing to tolerate actions undermining horizontal accountability, compared to those undermining vertical and diagonal accountability. The research contributes by emphasizing hierarchies of risk not previously demonstrated, illuminating how both antecedent conditions (“tripwires”) and agentic decisions (“triggers”) can increase vulnerability to democratic backsliding.

Authors

• Erica Susanne De Bruin, Hamilton College

• Calvert W. Jones, University of Maryland, College Park