The Populist Appeal: Personality and Anti-establishment Communication

Resumen

With the election of Donald Trump and landmark wins for populists across Europe, one of today's most pressing questions is: why do people support populists? We theorize that citizens who score low on the personality trait Agreeableness -- those who are more distrusting, cynical and tough-minded -- are more susceptible to anti-establishment messages expressed by populists. Using thirteen population-based cross-sectional samples collected in eight countries and three continents, we first show that individuals who score low on Agreeableness are more likely to support populists. Moreover, with a conjoint experiment, we demonstrate that it is their anti-establishment message, which makes populists attractive to people who score low on Agreeableness. As such, this paper outlines a broader theoretical framework that links personality to political persuasion. In a time when politicians tailor their messages to the psychological make-up of their voters, it is crucial to understand the interplay between political communication and personality.

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Cómo citar (APA 7)

Bakker, B. N., Schumacher, G., & Rooduijn, M. (2020). The Populist Appeal: Personality and Anti-establishment Communication. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/n3je2