Emotional Backlash in Times of Change: Ressentiment and Democratic Discontent

Modern democracies are shaped by overlapping transformations driven by globalization, digitalization, migration, inequality, and climate change. While some adapt with openness, others experience Veränderungserschöpfung—the sense that too much is changing too fast (Mau et al. 2023). This paper examines whether change fatigue is associated with ressentiment, understood as a durable, morally charged form of grievance that translates perceived powerlessness into narratives of injustice. Using original survey data from Germany (N = 2,500; 2025), the analysis shows that individuals most fatigued by societal change are significantly more likely to express ressentiment. Ressentiment is unequally distributed: it is stronger among men, younger respondents, and those affected by unemployment or economic insecurity, while education, income, and wealth act as protective factors. High ressentiment is also linked to stronger affinities with right-wing populist orientations. The findings highlight how structural change is emotionally processed and politically mobilized, contributing to democratic distrust and backlash politics.