Why voters who value democracy participate in democratic backsliding

Alia Braley (), Gabriel S. Lenz, Dhaval Adjodah, Hossein Rahnama and Alex Pentland
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Alia Braley: University of California, Berkeley
Gabriel S. Lenz: University of California, Berkeley
Dhaval Adjodah: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Hossein Rahnama: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Alex Pentland: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Human Behaviour, 2023, vol. 7, issue 8, 1282-1293

Abstract: Abstract Around the world, citizens are voting away the democracies they claim to cherish. Here we present evidence that this behaviour is driven in part by the belief that their opponents will undermine democracy first. In an observational study (N = 1,973), we find that US partisans are willing to subvert democratic norms to the extent that they believe opposing partisans are willing to do the same. In experimental studies (N = 2,543, N = 1,848), we revealed to partisans that their opponents are more committed to democratic norms than they think. As a result, the partisans became more committed to upholding democratic norms themselves and less willing to vote for candidates who break these norms. These findings suggest that aspiring autocrats may instigate democratic backsliding by accusing their opponents of subverting democracy and that we can foster democratic stability by informing partisans about the other side’s commitment to democracy.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01594-w

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