Subjective Inequality and Regime Preferences: How Perceptions of Disadvantage Support Authoritarian Regime Preferences

Subjective group-based relative deprivation (SGRD) has evolved into a powerful means for capturing socio-economic grievances and resentment as it brings together cognitive evaluations and affective reactions thereto. Subjective perceptions of societal inequality and group-based disadvantage compared to relevant others have been shown to promote political protest behavior as well as populist and/or nationalist attitudes. Missing in this research, however, is if such perceived inequalities alter views on different modes of government altogether. Yet, it is vital to answer such questions to fully grasp the extent to which perceptions of inequality and socio-economic grievances shape societies. Thus, our paper studies if SGRD may explain preferences for authoritarian as compared to democratic regime types. Our theoretical argument posits that those perceiving their in-group as relatively deprived should be less likely to support democracy vis-à-vis authoritarian rule. Perceptions of being systematically disadvantaged may fuel disaffection with and resentment against the prevailing democratic system, whereas authoritarian systems appear appealing to individuals suffering from SGRD. Strongmen leadership or army rule promise a stronger protection of the in-group against this disadvantage and pursue more confrontational in-group-out-group relations that allow for channeling angry resentment. In accordance with social identity theory, authoritarian regime preferences offer a valid coping strategy presenting authoritarian rule as a remedy in the face of group-based status inferiority. To test this argument empirically, we rely on original survey data from six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) collected at two points in time (Nov 2020 – Jan 2021 and April - May 2021). Using regression analyses, we show that SGRD is positively related to the preference for an authoritarian regime type across all six countries at both points in time. Moreover, leveraging the fact that a group of the respondents were surveyed in both surveys, fixed effects regression models show that SGRD increases the preference for authoritarian regime types. In doing so, we contribute to scholarly literature in three important ways. First, we add on extant studies showing that perceptions of subjective disadvantage are crucial for explaining individuals’ attitudes. Thus, we provide an analysis of the influence of subjective perceptions of socio-economic grievances that expand on studies that rely on higher-level indicators of inequality to account for micro-level observations. Second, we combine literature from political psychology and political economy to provide an encompassing and interdisciplinary view on the consequences of group-based resentment for intergroup relations. Third, drawing on comparative panel data allows us to study shifts over time across several countries.