Meanwhile, 44 percent backed the American tradition of competing branches of government as a model, if sometimes “frustrating,” system.
Why would people want to live under an authoritarian’s thumb? It’s rooted, experts say, in a psychological need for security—real or perceived—and a desire for conformity, a goal that becomes even more acute as the country undergoes dramatic demographic and social changes. People also like to obey a strong leader who will protect the group—especially if it is the “right” group whose interests will be protected. Recall the Trump supporter who, during the 2019 government shutdown, complained, “He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.”
I have a hard time believing the questions or something is not skewed to get such a high result.
You really can’t imagine that 32% of Americans are idiots? If anything, I’m relieved the number isn’t higher.
32% of polled Americans who will admit it out loud, mind you. That number is absolutely higher. Pew Research found 43% of American adults trust Fox News and they trounce other cable news channels by a long shot. We ain’t never gonna make it.
2/3rds of my neighbors aren’t. more like 10%
They didn’t agree with a statement that explicitly endorsed authoritarianism or military dictatorship. They agreed with a statement that is being interpreted as the equivalent of supporting those things.
And the question itself is very open to interpretation. Does “strong” mean decisive and principled or cruel and dictatorial? Does interference refer to the normal balance of power between the three branches of government, or is it referring to extreme dysfunction, or even unconstitutional actions taken by courts and/or congress that violates constitutional principles.