RIGHT-WING AUTHORITARIANISM (R-WA)
Right-wing authoritarianism (R-WA) is a cluster of attitudes marked by strong submission to perceived legitimate authorities, aggression in their name, and insistence on conventional social norms. In psychology, R-WA is defined as a tendency to be highly submissive to established authorities, to support aggression against their designated “enemies,” and to conform strongly to traditional norms and values. Core components include:
Authoritarian submission: Strong belief that authorities should be obeyed, trusted, and rarely questioned, even when they are corrupt or incompetent. People who rank high in the R-WA spectrum tend to favor strong leaders, “law and order” policies, and severe punishments (including the death penalty), while being more willing to restrict civil liberties in the name of security and morality.
Authoritarian aggression: Support for harsh, punitive treatment of those seen as deviants, outsiders, or threats to the social order, especially when punishment is endorsed by authorities.
Conventionalism: High attachment to traditional norms, morals, and lifestyles, and a belief that others should also be required to follow these conventions.
R-WA advocates are more likely to show prejudice toward stigmatized or minority groups and to support policies that enforce hierarchy and social conformity over individual freedom and diversity
R-WA ideology tends to favor centralized, unconstrained executive power and harsh treatment of dissenters, critics, and stigmatized out-groups.
What can be expected from people who are on the high end of the right-wing authoritarianism spectrum:
- Higher R-WA is linked to greater prejudice toward norm-violating groups (e.g. sexual and gender minorities, religious, racial and ethnic minorities, political protesters, activists, or social movements that openly defy authorities, challenge “law and order,” or reject established symbols and rituals, etc.)
- R-WA is also associated with a closed‑minded cognitive style—preference for order and certainty, and more difficulty updating beliefs when confronted with new, disconfirming information (i.e. verifiable truth.)
- Conspiracy theories and rhetorical sound bites are especially appealing to people who rate high on the R-WA spectrum. Conspiracy theories and rhetorical sound bites tend to resonate more with people who score high on R-WA because such beliefs often satisfy the need for a clear, orderly world and reassurance from trusted authorities. High-R-WA individuals may gravitate toward explanations that identify enemies and threats that frame “in-group” versus “out-group” dynamics in simple, authoritative terms. This alignment can make conspiracy narratives feel satisfying and legitimate, especially when these theories legitimize enforcing norms or punishing perceived out-group deviants.
R-WA helps explain why some people are drawn to strong leaders, strict social control, and “tough” responses to perceived threats. Together with Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), R-WA accounts for a large share of variance in prejudice and support for authoritarian or exclusionary politics, so understanding it is key for analyzing contemporary polarization and backsliding from democratic ideals.
Egalitarian democracies decline as right-wing authoritarianism (R-WA) expands its influence. R-WA ideology contradicts core democratic principles in the following ways:
Constitutional Separation of Powers vs Authoritarian Leader
- Constitutional systems require dispersed power, independent courts, and meaningful legislative oversight of the executive.
- Right-wing authoritarian advocates often seek to “capture” constitutional courts, weaken legislatures, and concentrate power in the executive authority, using legality and elections as a cover for dismantling constraints.
Majority Rule vs Minority Rights
- Constitutional democracies protect speech, association, due process, and equal protection for minorities, even when a majority dislikes them.
- R-WA politics frequently frame minorities, dissidents, and “unpatriotic” groups as internal enemies, justifying restrictions on their rights and turning majoritarian support into a license to suppress them.
Rule of Law vs Arbitrary Authoritarian Rule
- Constitutional rule of law demands that government itself is bound by general, pre‑existing rules, enforceable by independent constitutional bodies (i.e. Congress and courts) — not by the personal will of the leader or surrogates he/she empowers to carry out his/her executive directives.
- Right-wing authoritarian leaders often use legal reforms, constitutional amendments, excessive executive authority and extra-legal workarounds to legitimize their own power grabs (“autocratic legalism”.)
- Authoritarian leaders hollow out constitutional rights and minimize legitimate oversight by other constitutional bodies in an effort to create a façade of lawfulness.
Constitutionalism is built on limiting government, preventing arbitrary rule, and protecting fundamental rights even against majority will. Effective Constitutionalism depends on effective checks and balances (independent courts, legislatures, free media) that can say “no” to leaders and majorities when they violate higher constitutional norms. These principles are not present in R-WA.
R-WA elevates “traditional” cultural/social/religious norms and political/social control by a relatively small in-group who subvert the individual liberties of a larger out-group. This ideology enables arbitrary rule by a few powerful leaders in rhetoric that disguises authoritarianism as populism.
In the era of Donald Trump, R-WA has emerged as a potent force around the world. His success in the United States has influenced nationalist and populist movements that prioritize strong leaders, anti-immigration policies, and challenges to democratic institutions. Right-wing parties in Germany, France, Italy and Austria have gained influence as they reflect Trump’s anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-climate stances. President Trump has positioned himself at the forefront of a global surge in hardline conservative populism, providing motivation and encouragement to rising nationalist movements within the European Union and beyond. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Democracy Index 2024 classifies sixty (39%) countries out of 167 evaluated have authoritarian regimes.