The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Authoritarianism and Polarization in American Politics
Abstract
Although politics at the elite level has been polarized for some time, a scholarly controversy has raged over whether ordinary Americans are polarized. This book argues that they are and that the reason is growing polarization of worldviews - what guides people's view of right and wrong and good and evil. These differences in worldview are rooted in what Marc J. Hetherington and Jonathan D. Weiler describe as authoritarianism. They show that differences of opinion concerning the most provocative issues on the contemporary issue agenda - about race, gay marriage, illegal immigration, and the use of force to resolve security problems - reflect differences in individuals' levels of authoritarianism. Events and strategic political decisions have conspired to make all these considerations more salient. The authors demonstrate that the left and the right have coalesced around these opposing worldviews, which has provided politics with more incandescent hues than before.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Consequently, rather than being a stable trait, individuals' authoritarian tendencies may temporarily increase when threats are psychologically salient [39], [55], [56], [57].”
From Pathogens and Politics: Further Evidence That Parasite Prevalence Predicts Authoritarianism (2013) · cites this paper as [55]
Citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 601–700 of 919
Republican and Democratic Pursuits of New Constituencies
Stonecash, J. M. (2012) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139333733.010
Hong, G. (2017) · The Korean Journal of International Studies · doi:10.14731/kjis.2017.04.15.1.131
Authoritarianism, Social Structure and Economic Policy PreferencesPreprint
Mellon, J., & Prosser, C. (2017) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3022169
Facts and Norms in Democratization
Farneti, R. (2017) · Democratic Theory · doi:10.3167/dt.2017.040203
Partisan Polarization in the US Congress
Theriault, S. M., & Moeller, M. (2014) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/obo/9780199756223-0088
Wilson, C. A. (2018) · Sociology and Anthropology · doi:10.13189/sa.2018.060303
Authoritarianism in the Public
Suhay, E., & Maurer, B. (2018) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/obo/9780199756223-0236
Partisan Polarization in the US Electorate
Levendusky, M. S. (2013) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/obo/9780199756223-0082
Public Opinion in Affluent Democracies
Dalton, R. J. (2011) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/obo/9780199756223-0046
Human Rights: Principles in Practice Without the Promise of Principles
Ackerly, B. A. (2018) · Human Rights Review · doi:10.1007/s12142-018-0523-5
Against the (Campaign) Grain: The Cross-Cutting Effects of Authoritarianism in Political Campaigns
Chen, P. G., & Housholder, E. (2018) · Journal of Political Marketing · doi:10.1080/15377857.2018.1486769
“and Republican Party identification that Hetherington and Weiler (2009)”
BackgroundPrivacy, Polarization, and Passage of Divisive Laws
Johnson, B., & Laskowski, P. (2018) · IEEE Symposium on Privacy-Aware Computing (PAC) · doi:10.1109/pac.2018.00007
“More culturally-specific theories involving authoritarianism are also prevalent [20].”
BackgroundHerbert, J., McCrisken, T. B., & Wroe, A. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04943-0_2
A case for multiple pathways to increasing perfectionism: Reply to Soenens and Vansteenkiste (2019).
Hill, A. P., & Curran, T. (2019) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000189
An “Authoritarian Spring?” Authoritarianism and the 2018 Midterm Elections
Cizmar, A. M., & McTague, J. M. (2018) · The Forum · doi:10.1515/for-2018-0036
Marietta, M., & Barker, D. C. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190677176.003.0001
Marietta, M., & Barker, D. C. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190677176.003.0016
How Does Populism Endanger Democracy?
Pappas, T. S. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198837886.003.0007
Pappas, T. S. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198837886.003.0003
How and Where Does Populism Thrive?
Pappas, T. S. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198837886.003.0004
Pappas, T. S. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198837886.003.0006
Patrones de negación en el discurso político inaugural de los presidentes estadounidenses
Durán, J. M. (2025) · RASAL Lingüística · doi:10.56683/rs171168
Pappas, T. S. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198837886.003.0005
The Development of Political Institutions
(2022) · University of Michigan Press eBooks · doi:10.1353/book.101803
Does Gender Matter in Elections?
Boatright, R. G., & Sperling, V. (2019) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190065829.003.0002
The Gender Content of Senate Campaign Advertisements
Boatright, R. G., & Sperling, V. (2019) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190065829.003.0006
Boatright, R. G., & Sperling, V. (2019) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190065829.003.0004
Boatright, R. G., & Sperling, V. (2019) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190065829.003.0005
Who Votes for Authoritarian-Populist Parties?
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108595841.009
What's Behind Rising Authoritarianism: Answers from Political Psychology & the Third ReichPreprint
Shammas, M. (2019) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3503164
A Black Man in the White House
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.008
Brexit and the Reshaping of British Electoral Politics
Fieldhouse, E., Green, J., Evans, G., Mellon, J., Prosser, C., Schmitt, H., & van der Eijk, C. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198800583.003.0009
Fieldhouse, E., Green, J., Evans, G., Mellon, J., Prosser, C., Schmitt, H., & van der Eijk, C. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198800583.003.0003
Can Humanism be the Social Norm?
Welch, S. D. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190921538.013.5
Locking in Segregation through Suburban Control
Trounstine, J. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555722.009
The Polarized Nation That Segregation Built
Trounstine, J. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555722.010
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.001
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.009
The Measurement and Meaning of Group Ties
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.003
The Content and Contours of Whiteness
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.005
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.002
The Novel of American Authoritarianism
Phelps, C. (2020) · Science & society (New York. 1936) · doi:10.1521/siso.2020.84.2.232 · Cited by 1
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.004
Conclusion: Mobilizing the People of God
Smith, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108699655.010
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108595841.011
Pyeatt, N., & Yanus, A. B. (2020) · Representation · doi:10.1080/00344893.2020.1754892
“These appeals and growing nativist and anti-immigrant sentiment also resonated with voters with authoritarian tendencies (Hetherington & Weiler, 2009) and high levels of racial and ethnic animosity.”
BackgroundThe Authoritarian-Populist Challenge
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108595841.014
Weissmark, M. S. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190686345.003.0006
Democratic Innovations for Representative Governments
Altman, D. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108634397.002
Trounstine, J. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555722.007
A Theory of Segregation by Design
Trounstine, J. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555722.003
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108595841.013 · Cited by 1
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.006
The Measurement of Latina/o Racism-Ethnicism
Ramirez, M. D., & Peterson, D. A. M. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108861915.005
Attitudes about Punishment and Policing
Ramirez, M. D., & Peterson, D. A. M. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108861915.007
The Electoral Implications of Latina/o Racism-Ethnicism
Ramirez, M. D., & Peterson, D. A. M. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108861915.009
Why Whites Favor Restrictive Voting Laws
Ramirez, M. D., & Peterson, D. A. M. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108861915.008
Segregation’s Negative Consequences
Trounstine, J. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555722.008
Personality, Context, and the Roots of Autocratic Support in Latin AmericaPreprint
Miranda, P. A. (2020) · doi:10.33774/apsa-2020-7znp5
The Mind-Expanding Potential of Opposing and Contradictory Positions
Hermans, H. J. M. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197501023.003.0004
Hermans, H. J. M. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197501023.003.0001
Hermans, H. J. M. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197501023.003.0002
Hermans, H. J. M. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197501023.003.0008
Stimulating and Impeding Factors For Inner Democracy
Hermans, H. J. M. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197501023.003.0007
Inner Democracy as Multi-Voiced and Dialogical
Hermans, H. J. M. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197501023.003.0005
Inner Democracy and Political Intolerance
Hermans, H. J. M. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197501023.003.0003
Between The Imprisoned Self and Free Participation
Hermans, H. J. M. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197501023.003.0006
Messanga, G. A., & NGONGUEU, S. N. (2021) · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science · doi:10.47772/ijriss.2021.5102
“In this logic, Hetherington and Weiler (2009) argue that authoritarianism is an individual’s predisposition to order, security and certainty that structures a worldview of ideas.”
BackgroundBroockman, D., Ferenstein, G., & Malhotra, N. A. (2017) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3032688
Anger and the Future of American Government
Webster, S. W. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108868303.008
Trait-Based Anger and Governmental Distrust
Webster, S. W. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108868303.004
The Causal Effect of Anger on Trust in Government
Webster, S. W. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108868303.005
Clergy, Congregants, and Religious Politicians
Smith, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108699655.002
General Policy Disagreement and Broadly Targeted Court-Curbing
Bartels, B. L., & Johnston, C. D. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316979754.004
Political Elites and the Strategic Use of Anger
Webster, S. W. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108868303.003
Altman, D. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108634397.006
The Guardians of Judicial Independence
Bartels, B. L., & Johnston, C. D. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316979754.001
Why White America Opposes Immigration
Ramirez, M. D., & Peterson, D. A. M. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108861915.006
Technical Appendix B: The Variables and Coding Used in the Multivariate Analysis
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108595841.016
A Deep Dive into Supreme Court Evaluation and Support
Bartels, B. L., & Johnston, C. D. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316979754.003
Concluding Thoughts and New Designs
Trounstine, J. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555722.011
Webster, S. W. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108868303.007
Altman, D. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108634397.005
The German Exception: Emulating Full-Scale Fascism
Weyland, K. G. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108943642.007
Nostalgia, Race, and Authoritarianism in Flannery O’Connor’s Fiction
Graybill, M. S. (2021) · Amerikastudien/American Studies · doi:10.33675/amst/2021/3/4
Procedural Perceptions and Motivated Reasoning
Bartels, B. L., & Johnston, C. D. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316979754.007
Conservative–Fascist Relations and the Autocratic Reverse Wave
Weyland, K. G. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108943642.009
Learning about America from Abroad
Tarrow, S. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009028905.011
Nation-State Contexts and Authoritarian Value Changes of Ethnic Chinese
Liu, B., Morgan, P., & Kokoromytis, D. (2021) · Athens Journal of Social Sciences · doi:10.30958/ajss.9-1-2
Labor and Civil Rights from the New Deal to the War on Poverty
Tarrow, S. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009028905.007
Policies that Protect the Group
Jardina, A. E. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108645157.007
Matovski, A. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009047500.008
Persistence of the Communist Threat and Rising Appeal of Fascism
Weyland, K. G. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108943642.006
The Suppression of Isomorphic Emulation Efforts and Its Limited Regime Effects
Weyland, K. G. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108943642.005
The Deeply Involved Are Different
Krupnikov, Y., & Ryan, J. B. (2022) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108923323.005
Krupnikov, Y., & Ryan, J. B. (2022) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108923323.011
Webster, S. W. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108868303.001
Krupnikov, Y., & Ryan, J. B. (2022) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108923323.008
Weyland, K. G. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108943642.002
Metadata
- Authors
- Hetherington, M. J., & Weiler, J. D.
- Affiliations
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- Venue
- Cambridge University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Published
- 2009-08-24
- OpenAlex
- W980306965
- Cited by
- 910
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 99 · 2021: 105 · 2020: 90 · 2019: 152 · 2018: 71 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 42
- FWCI
- 47.41
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cambridge University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Electoral Systems and Political Participation
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Populism, Right-Wing Movements
- Keywords
- authoritarianism, political polarization, public opinion, worldview, issue salience, race, same-sex marriage, illegal immigration, use of force, left-right divide, American politics
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
