The U.S. Constitution's ambiguities, combined with certain Supreme Court interpretations, provide a landscape where authoritarian and kleptocratic tendencies could flourish. The balance between democracy and authoritarianism largely depends on the political culture, the integrity of elected officials, and the vigilance of the judiciary and the public in upholding democratic norms and values. While the Constitution provides a framework for democracy, its effectiveness in preventing authoritarianism or kleptocracy relies heavily on the interpretation and application of its principles by those in power.
Even farther back in time, when carnivorous dinosaurs still roamed the streets of Buffalo and elsewhere and chased people, eating those that got caught (Jan. 2025), NY, I posted about a comparison of democratic conservatism with MAGA authoritarianism. Bottom line, more or less:
While democratic conservatism and authoritarianism share some economic and social policy preferences, their approaches to governance, civil liberties, elections, and the rule of law diverge significantly. Democratic conservatism operates within a framework that values democratic principles, individual liberties, and the rule of law, but just with a conservative interpretation. In contrast, authoritarianism, as exemplified by movements like MAGA, prioritize central control, order, and the maintenance of power, usually at the expense of democratic norms and civil liberties.
Other posts here, e.g., this one and this one, basically accord with those frightening findings. Also in the scary mix are other the ever-present, toxic factors like corruption and mental entrapment by authoritarian DFS (dark free speech).
Well now, all of that is sobering stuff. Anyway, in the eons since those fine posts, the dinosaurs have gone extinct and the question du jour is how many of us are willing to support some form of kleptocratic authoritarianism? Perp in deep research mode:
Q: What portion of people in modern democratic societies are mostly supportive of authoritarianism and the corruption it usually entails? Is that proportion about the same as in "advanced" dictatorships or kleptocracies like China, Russia and Iran? Does the portion change with changing social circumstances and moral values?A: Key Findings
Approximately 30–40% of individuals in democratic societies exhibit measurable support for authoritarianism, with higher proportions observed among specific ideological and religious subgroups. In advanced authoritarian regimes like China and Iran, overt public support for the government often exceeds 50–70% in state-controlled surveys, though anonymous studies reveal significantly lower genuine approval (e.g., 50–60% in China). Corruption tolerance varies inversely with regime type: authoritarian systems institutionalize graft as a tool of control, whereas democratic societies generally reject systemic corruption but tolerate it when linked to perceived efficiency. Social crises—economic instability, polarization, and perceived cultural threats—increase authoritarian sympathies in democracies, while authoritarian regimes leverage propaganda and repression to stabilize support.
Authoritarian Support in Democratic Societies
Quantifying Authoritarian Leanings
In the United States, 43% of adults score high on the Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWAS), which measures preferences for social conformity, security, and deference to authority 5 13. Among Republicans, this figure rises to 67%, with Trump supporters showing the strongest alignment (75%) 1 3. Globally, Pew Research Center data from 24 nations indicates that 26% of respondents endorse a system where a “strong leader operates unchecked by legislatures or courts,” with higher approval in younger democracies like India (55%) and Indonesia (53%) 9. These figures reflect a baseline susceptibility to authoritarianism that persists even in established democracies.
Subgroup Variations
Religious Affiliation: White evangelical Protestants in the U.S. exhibit the highest authoritarian tendencies (64%), followed by weekly churchgoers (55%) 13.
Economic Anxiety: Individuals reporting financial instability are 15–20% more likely to support authoritarian leaders, prioritizing economic security over democratic norms 16.Authoritarian Regimes: Dissent and Managed Consent
The Illusion of Uniform Support
State-sponsored surveys in authoritarian regimes often report overwhelming public approval. For example, China’s official polls claim 90% support for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 7. However, anonymous methodologies reveal a stark contrast: list experiments show genuine approval drops to 50–70%, with urban residents particularly skeptical (41% support) 7 14. Similarly, a 2023 survey of 158,000 Iranians found 81% rejecting the Islamic Republic, preferring secular democracy or constitutional monarchy 8.
Corruption as a Regime Tool
Authoritarian systems institutionalize corruption to consolidate power. In China, anti-corruption campaigns under Xi Jinping have punished over 1.5 million officials since 2012, yet these efforts primarily target political rivals rather than systemic reform 3 6. By framing selective crackdowns as moral stewardship, the CCP has bolstered public perceptions of competence, with 68% of citizens approving anti-corruption measures despite unchanged graft levels 6 12. Russia and Iran similarly use patronage networks to reward loyalists, embedding corruption within state structures while publicly condemning it 12. [Does any of that sound familiar? It sure does to me]
.... long analysis ....
Conclusion
Authoritarian support in democracies, while significant, remains context-dependent and reversible through institutional reforms. In contrast, advanced dictatorships rely on coercion and performative anti-corruption to mask declining legitimacy. Both systems face pressures from generational change: democracies must address inequality and polarization to retain youth engagement, while autocracies risk destabilization as digital connectivity undermines propaganda. The persistence of corruption in all regimes underscores its utility as a tool of control, though its manifestations reflect fundamental differences in accountability and power structures.
So between the roughly 43% of Americans who are sympathetic to authoritarianism and attendant corruption and the other ~6.8% who were conned by maga's DFS (lies**, slanders, crackpottery, etc.) and/or cult socialization, that was enough to put deeply corrupt djt and equally corrupt MAGA elites back in power by a plurality of votes in 2024, i.e., 49.8%.
** For example, maga lies about inflation and high costs generally being all Biden's fault and therefore also Harris' fault were quite effective in getting votes for djt and maga elites. Poll data indicates that maga's inflation lies where among the top three vote-getters for djt in 2024 (resentments about woke/DEI and weak border control were the other two).
Well now, that American pro-authoritarianism sentiment data is also rather scary. We can all hope that Perplexity's analysis is wrong. But I doubt it. The numbers it cites are in accord with my own understanding from various news and science research sources.
Finally FWIW, the Perplexity analysis is based on 58 references. Here's some of them:
anonymous China poll data: https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/chinese-communist-party-support-lower-when-surveys-anonymous/
Iran poll data: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202302036145
social science research: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13510347.2022.2062324
social science research: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11601049/
political science analysis: https://jackson.yale.edu/news/understanding-authoritarianism/
social science research: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44159-023-00161-4
political science analysis: https://www.princeton.edu/~lwantche/Corruption_in_Autocracies
political science analysis: https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/how-do-dictatorships-survive-21st-century/
news article: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/pew-democracy-poll-authoritarianism-b2504148.html
Russian public opinion data: https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/russias-authoritarian-regime-and-the-radicalization-of-the-anti-war-opposition-134402
Russia's hybrid totalitarianism: https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2022/04/putins-war-has-moved-russia-from-authoritarianism-to-hybrid-totalitarianism?lang=en
large Russia study: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/russia-tomorrow/reluctant-consensus-war-and-russias-public-opinion/
European news article: https://www.euronews.com/2022/11/30/more-countries-are-moving-towards-authoritarianism-report
26 Latin American and Caribbean Country authoritarianism poll data: https://worldjusticeproject.org/news/rule-of-law-surveys-latin-america-caribbean-authoritarian-trendsglobal authoritarian violence: https://freedomhouse.org/article/new-report-authoritarian-violence-drives-20th-consecutive-year-decline-democratic
authoritarian threat index data: https://protectdemocracy.org/threat-index/
Well, maybe my dinosaur extinction data
has a flaw in it
🤪
