[Toshi]

The rise of American authoritarianism

A niche group of political scientists may have uncovered what's driving Donald Trump's ascent. What they found has implications that go well beyond 2016.

by Amanda Taub

My commentary is that there is lots of meat in here, and this theory explains what we've been seeing this election cycle better than any other that I've heard. This dose-response curve is particularly convincing to me:

The pseudo-fascist tendencies of Trump and trump supporters are laid bare:

Authoritarians generally and Trump voters specifically, we found, were highly likely to support five policies:

1. Using military force over diplomacy against countries that threaten the United States
2. Changing the Constitution to bar citizenship for children of illegal immigrants
3. Imposing extra airport checks on passengers who appear to be of Middle Eastern descent in order to curb terrorism
4. Requiring all citizens to carry a national ID card at all times to show to a police officer on request, to curb terrorism
5. Allowing the federal government to scan all phone calls for calls to any number linked to terrorism

What these policies share in common is an outsize fear of threats, physical and social, and, more than that, a desire to meet those threats with severe government action — with policies that are authoritarian not just in style but in actuality. The scale of the desired response is, in some ways, what most distinguishes authoritarians from the rest of the GOP.

The populist streak is also explained:

Just as striking is what was missing from authoritarians' concerns. There was no clear correlation between authoritarianism and support for tax cuts for people making more than $250,000 per year, for example. And the same was true of support for international trade agreements.

The conclusion is not pretty:

If Trump loses the election, that will not remove the threats and social changes that trigger the "action side" of authoritarianism. The authoritarians will still be there. They will still look for candidates who will give them the strong, punitive leadership they desire.

And that means Donald Trump could be just the first of many Trumps in American politics, with potentially profound implications for the country.

 

[StiHacka]

I have not found a single use of the word "corrupt" in this article as one of the possible reasons people are fed up with either party's political machinery, therefore #fail.
Two party system == false dichotomies == long term fail.

 

[rideit]

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/dear-trump-fan-so-you-want-someone-to-tell-it-like-it-is-ok-here-you-go/

 

[Kevin]

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/dear-trump-fan-so-you-want-someone-to-tell-it-like-it-is-ok-here-you-go/

Good piece. Unfortunately reason doesnt work on these idiots. And this peace will only kind of piss them off cause they cant comprehed what just happened, and will therefore support Drumpf even more.

 

[Pesqueeb]

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/dear-trump-fan-so-you-want-someone-to-tell-it-like-it-is-ok-here-you-go/

God. The Blaze attempts to take down Drumpf? It's almost too much. That's almost as satisfying as The National Review dedicating a whole issue to him. Watching the very same people who created this monster now recoil in terror from it, is amazing. This will be remembered as one of the most incredible spectacles in the history of american politics, if we should all happen to survive it. Schadenfreude indeed.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

I'm Trumped out.