Shanto Iyengar

  Tuesday, 11th June 2024

  16:30 - 17:30

   Senior Common Room - Nuffield College

   Uncommon and nonpartisan: Anti-democratic attitudes in the American public

ABSTRACT

American political elites increasingly exhibit an antidemocratic posture. We show that elites are not in agreement with their constituents; our analysis of public attitudes reveals that Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly and consistently oppose violations of democratic norms and partisan violence. This commitment to regime norms remains stable over time in both cross-sectional and panel data, suggesting that recent outbreaks of antidemocratic behavior on the part of political elites have yet to weaken the public’s support for democracy. However, a more ominous implication of our findings is that public support is not a prerequisite for elite backsliding.