Psychosocial consequences of perceiving the role of money in politics: Mobilization and democratic erosion

Wealth inequality is increasingly viewed as a major threat to democratic functioning. As concern about the role of money in politics grows, a key question emerges: how do citizens respond when they perceive economic and political power as overlapping? Such perceptions may shape both corrective action and disengagement. Across four preregistered studies (total N = 3,332, U.S. participants), we examined these dynamics. Studies 1 and 2 (correlational), showed that perceived economic-political overlap predicted both efforts to reduce inequality (e.g., support for redistribution) and democratic disengagement (e.g., reduced political efficacy). Perceiving wealth inequality as a threat to democracy emerged as a key mechanism linking overlap to efforts to reduce inequality. Studies 3 and 4 (experimental) manipulated perceived overlap and Study 4 additionally manipulated democratic threat. Together, our findings show that perceiving a greater overlap between wealth and political power can mobilize corrective action while simultaneously imposing democratic costs.