The Psychology of Support for Outlaws: Legitimising Illegality as Political Dissent

Across diverse contexts, individuals and groups associated with overt illegality have at times attracted waves of public sympathy. Figures such as Luigi Mangione, those responsible for high-profile thefts from institutions such as the Louvre, and hackers targeting state agencies and corporations have, in some cases, attracted admiration and their actions have come to be viewed as justified responses to injustice. Why do some individuals endorse a wrongdoer (or a wrong) to make a right? This chapter examines the psychological mechanisms underlying support for outlaws and the legitimisation of illegality as a political expression of dissent. We argue that understanding this phenomenon requires situating it within the broader psychology of retribution and political dissent. More specifically, we contend that when individuals perceive legitimate avenues for social change or redress as closed or ineffective, illegal actors may come to be seen as embodying defiance against powerful targets or arrangements regarded as unjust. Drawing on an emerging research programme, we review evidence on how beliefs about the fairness and responsiveness of the system, cultural value orientations, moral emotions such as schadenfreude, and group dynamics shape individuals’ willingness to legitimise illegal actors and their acts. A truly global political psychology must engage with these dynamics across different social contexts, geographies, and situations, thereby expanding our understanding of what it means to do politics in the contemporary world.