Studies have shown that anomie, i.e., the perception that a society’s leadership and social fabric are breaking down, is a central predictor of individuals’ support for authoritarianism. However, causal evidence for this relationship is missing. Moreover, previous studies are ambiguous regarding the mediating mechanism and lack empirical tests for the same. Against this background, we derive a set of integrative hypotheses: First, we argue that perceptions of anomie lead to a perceived lack of political control. The repeated failure to exert control in the political sphere leads to feelings of uncertainty about the functioning and meaning of the political world. This uncertainty heightens people’s susceptibility to authoritarianism because, we argue, the latter promises a sense of order, meaning, and the guidance of a ‘strong leader.’ We support our hypothesis in a large-scale field study with a representative sample of the German population (N = 1504), while statistically ruling out alternative explanations. Adding internal validity, we provide causal evidence for each path in our sequential mediation hypothesis in three preregistered, controlled experiments (conducted in the U.S., total N = 846). Our insights may support policymakers in addressing the negative political consequences of anomie.

Jasper Neerdaels is a postdoctoral research associate at the Centre for Political Research at KU Leuven. Jasper’s work focuses on affective polarization, authoritarian and populist leadership, and social inequality. Before joining KU Leuven, Jasper was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Greifswald. He holds a PhD from Kühne Logistics University.