An analysis by the 2016 American National Election Study has revealed that racism played a bigger part in Trump’s election than authoritarianism, reports the Washington Post.
The 2016 American National Election Study consisted of about 1,200 people from across the U.S. answering survey questions for more than an hour, the questions structured to reveal their political leanings.
To determine how much the surveyed people were in alignment with authoritarianism — which the Washington Post clarified, "isn’t the same as fascism; [authoritarianism] is a psychological disposition in which voters have an aversion to social change and threats to social order" — the 2016 American National Election Study asked them about their beliefs on how to raise children. If they answered that it was better for children to be well-behaved than considerate, or be obedient rather than self-reliant, they were likely to adhere more to authoritarianism.
To determine racial bias, the 2016 American National Election Study asked whether the wealth gap between black people and white people was because of discrimination and slavery or black people not trying hard enough.
Comparing the results of asking about authoritarianism and race — while controlling for various other factors — determined that people exhibiting authoritarian bias were nearly 3 percent more likely to vote for President Trump. People exhibiting racial bias were 20 percent more likely to vote for the 45th president of the United States. "Since 1988, we’ve never seen such a clear correspondence between vote choice and racial perceptions," Washington Post contributor Thomas Wood wrote.
Read more here.
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!