Study reveals which values actually stop voters from supporting antidemocratic politicians

A recent study explores which personal values can prevent voters from supporting politicians who undermine democratic institutions. While party loyalty often drives voter choices, a strong commitment to democratic principles can help people resist candidates who may weaken democratic norms. Published in Public Opinion Quarterly, the research, led by Christopher Claassen, examined data from 5,951 participants in the United States, Poland, and South Korea, all facing pressures for democratic backsliding.

Participants chose between hypothetical prodemocratic and antidemocratic candidates in various scenarios. The key predictor of pro-democratic voting was a person's support for liberal democratic institutions, which includes backing core values like free speech, equal voting rights, and the rule of law. This measure showed a consistent association with resisting antidemocratic candidates.

While other aspects of political culture, such as general democracy preferences and certain values, sometimes influenced voting, they were not as reliable predictors. Even in challenging situations where voters must choose between a prodemocratic candidate from an opposing party and an antidemocratic candidate from their own party, support for liberal democracy still made a difference, increasing the likelihood of choosing the democratic candidate by 2 to 12 percentage points. However, trust in political institutions had little impact on voting behavior.