Hiding in Plain Sight: Explaining Public Support for Democratic Backsliding in the US, Israel and Germany

What general orientations of mass publics help to explain their support for democratic backsliding—i.e., the erosion of democratic institutions, rules and norms by the actions of elected leaders? In contrast to the predominant focus of recent survey studies on partisan polarization, we investigate the degree to which several overlooked “illiberal affinities” – i.e., opposition to liberal democracy, support for authoritarian governance (e.g., military rule) and ethno-nationalism – also contribute to backsliding support, even after accounting for partisan orientations. We conducted survey experiments in fall 2023 in the U.S., Israel and Germany, where the histories, institutions and cultures of the three countries vary considerably. We find broadly similar patterns among citizens of the three countries, whose support for backsliding policies that seriously violate democratic norms is dramatically increased by their illiberal affinities. As we conclude from our empirical analysis, these illiberal affinities are “hiding in plain sight” and deserve far more attention in future research.