Hyping a dangerous world drives populations toward authoritarian leaders

Evidence

News media that value freedom of the press might resist the temptation to overplay the crime and violence stories. Hyping a “dangerous world” increases right-wing authoritarianism in the population, which could lead to authoritarian leaders. What do dictators seize first after a coup? — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 3834 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Societal threat causally drives authoritarianism rather than merely co-occurring with it. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 832; Fear mongering is the key mechanism that sustains vast imperial infrastructure — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 734; Global crime and disorder threaten a new Dark Ages (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Media hyping of a dangerous world increases authoritarianism in the public #corroborates (0.95) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 3834