Populist Voting and Populist Attitudes: The Role of Fear in the Age of Uncertainty

Populism is a widely studied and debated phenomenon in social sciences. While literature on populism has vastly focused on the "supply side" and on economic and material drivers which allow populism to flourish, demand-side studies have a focus on behavioural and emotional factors that make populist rhetoric appealing. Despite the growing consensus on the role played by (negative) emotions in informing the populist phenomenon, few studies have investigated its precise psychological determinants. The literature agrees that anger is the strongest predictor of support for populist voting, but the role of fear as a psychological determinant of populist attitudes remains understudied. I argue that fear and anxiety, triggered by perceived uncertainty or threat, bring the individual closer to and more attracted by the overgeneralised and simplified populist interpretation of reality as a juxtaposition of "good" people versus a "bad" outgroup. Therefore, in times of uncertainty fear can be a powerful predictor of populist attitudes and therefore populist voting. Recent studies have explored how political actors use fear to gain support, but few studies have delved into the demand side of this relationship. This research aims at filling this gap and contribute to the growing literature on emotions as determinants of support for populist parties and actors.