Dr Patricia Rehus
About
My research project
Citizens` perspectives: The link between democracy, populism, and liberalismMost countries in the world today are democracies. Yet, despite the prevalence of democracy and the central role that citizens play in it, we lack a comprehensive understanding of what democracy means to citizens. Given that liberal democracy has become the norm in the West, do citizens in these societies also understand democracy in liberal terms? In broader terms, what do citizens think of when they say they support democracy? Particularly in light of the recent wave of populism sweeping across the world, it is important to understand what notions of democracy citizens hold and how these notions relate to populism. With that in mind, my question is, do populist citizens have an understanding of democracy that differs from less populist citizens? And, perhaps even more importantly, is the spread of populism among citizens a threat to liberal democracy? My research answers these questions and many more to create a comprehensive profile of citizens` democratic preferences and further our understanding of the type of democracy that (populist) citizens want.
Supervisors
Most countries in the world today are democracies. Yet, despite the prevalence of democracy and the central role that citizens play in it, we lack a comprehensive understanding of what democracy means to citizens. Given that liberal democracy has become the norm in the West, do citizens in these societies also understand democracy in liberal terms? In broader terms, what do citizens think of when they say they support democracy? Particularly in light of the recent wave of populism sweeping across the world, it is important to understand what notions of democracy citizens hold and how these notions relate to populism. With that in mind, my question is, do populist citizens have an understanding of democracy that differs from less populist citizens? And, perhaps even more importantly, is the spread of populism among citizens a threat to liberal democracy? My research answers these questions and many more to create a comprehensive profile of citizens` democratic preferences and further our understanding of the type of democracy that (populist) citizens want.
Publications
This study examines the relationship between authoritarian predispositions and support for various democratic models across 22 European countries. Drawing on recent research in political psychology, authoritarianism is conceptualized as a predisposition to prioritize social conformity over individual autonomy. The findings reveal that authoritarian predispositions are positively associated with support for social, direct, and delegative democracy. Notably, support for direct and delegative democracy rises with authoritarianism across the ideological spectrum, suggesting a psychological preference for majoritarian unity, strong leadership, and institutional bypass. Interaction models show that authoritarian tendencies are not necessarily incompatible with liberal democracy; support for liberal and social democracy actually increases with authoritarian predispositions on the right, but decreases on the left. No robust relationship is found with populist and populist-participatory democracy. Country-specific analyses reveal notable cross-national variation, underscoring the role of institutional and discursive environments. The findings imply that although authoritarians are psychologically inclined to support semi-authoritarian forms of democracy, their predispositions act as filters, not fixed positions. Taken together, the complex interplay of predispositions, ideological beliefs, and national context may produce varying democratic preferences. The meaning of democracy is dynamic and can be framed in ways that align with the authoritarian need for order and conformity.
Populist leaders often describe democracy as being in conflict with liberal values and endorse more direct democratic measures for people to influence politics. But what about populist citizens? How do they define democracy and what aspects of democracy do they value most? Using a cross-national survey of 10 West European countries, we first explore how citizens understand democracy in general and then test the assumption that populist citizens share a different understanding of democracy to both populist elites and less-populist individuals. Our findings show that citizens' conceptions of democracy do not exactly match scholarly models, but are still clearly structured. We also find that populist citizens tend to support direct democracy and are less supportive of liberal principles, primarily because they are less likely to support the protection of minorities. They remain, however, equally supportive of other institutions of electoral and liberal democracy. Similarly, our results show that populist individuals are not especially more or less supportive of egalitarian and authoritarian understandings of democracy. That said, they are more comfortable with the idea of having strong leaders than their less populist counterparts. These results have important implications for democratic resilience. Policy-makers aiming to strengthen liberal democracy must address citizens' concerns about representation without compromising core democratic safeguards. Understanding these tensions can help guide more inclusive democratic reforms and better communication between political institutions and the public.