The Authoritarians

Alexander Moss

19 May 2025 — 1 min read

"26% of the U.S. population qualified as highly right-wing authoritarian"Morning Consult

One of the most mystifying questions in history is "why would individuals support a right-wing authoritarian movement?"

The answer to the question, "Why would someone want to be an authoritarian leader?" is comparatively obvious. Combine a few grim psychological traits with the opportunity for graft and power, and being a dictator looks appealing. Aside from the constant fear of assassination or violent rebellion, of course.

It's the followers that are tricky. Fortunately, Bob Altemeyer, a researcher based in Canada, spent years building a model for assessing right-wing authoritarian followers (RWAs) based on extensive research conducted over a forty-year career. He summarized his research in a book which he made available for free at theauthoritarians.org. I strongly recommend either the Audible audiobook or the audio available on YouTube. Bob has a great sense of humor that makes such tough material much easier to process.

It's a must-read (or listen) for anyone trying to understand the world today.

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