Left-Wing Authoritarianism in the United States

Conway, L. G., Houck, S. C., Gornick, L. J. and Repke, M. A. (2017), Finding the Loch Ness Monster: Left-Wing Authoritarianism in the United States. Political Psychology. doi:10.1111/pops.12470

Abstract: Although past research suggests authoritarianism may be a uniquely right-wing phenomenon, the present two studies tested the hypothesis that authoritarianism exists in both right-wing and left-wing contexts in essentially equal degrees. Across two studies, university (n = 475) and Mechanical Turk (n = 298) participants completed either the RWA (right-wing authoritarianism) scale or a newly developed (and parallel) LWA (left-wing authoritarianism) scale. Participants further completed measurements of ideology and three domain-specific scales: prejudice, dogmatism, and attitude strength. Findings from both studies lend support to an authoritarianism symmetry hypothesis: Significant positive correlations emerged between LWA and measurements of liberalism, prejudice, dogmatism, and attitude strength. These results largely paralleled those correlating RWA with identical conservative-focused measurements, and an overall effect-size measurement showed LWA was similarly related to those constructs (compared to RWA) in both Study 1 and Study 2. Taken together, these studies provide evidence that LWA may be a viable construct in ordinary U.S. samples.

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                                       Left-Wing Authoritarianism (LWA) Scale

For the following questions, please answer on a 1–7 scale, where 1=“I disagree completely,” 4=“neutral/undecided,” and 7=“I completely agree.”
_______1. Our country desperately needs a mighty and liberal leader who will do what has to be done to destroy the radical traditional ways of doing things that are ruining us.
_______2. Christian fundamentalists are just as healthy and moral as anybody else.
_______3. It’s always better to trust the judgment of the proper authorities in science with respect to issues like global warming and evolution than to listen to the noisy rabblerousers in our society who are trying to create doubts in people’s minds.
_______4. Christian Fundamentalists and others who have rebelled against the established sciences are no doubt every bit as good and virtuous as those who agree with the best scientific minds.
_______5. The only way our country can get through the crisis ahead is to get rid of our “traditional” values, put some tough leaders in power who oppose those values, and silence the troublemakers spreading bad (and so-called “traditional”) ideas.
_______6. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Christian Fundamentalist camps designed to create a new generation of Fundamentalists.
_______7. Our country needs traditional thinkers who will have the courage to defy modern progressive movements, even if this upsets many people.
_______8. Our country will be destroyed someday if we do not smash the traditional beliefs eating away at our national fiber and growing progressive beliefs.
_______9. With respect to environmental issues, everyone should have their own personality, even if it makes them different from everyone else.
_______10. Progressive ways and liberal values show the best way of life.
_______11. You have to admire those who challenged the law and the majority’s view by protesting against abortion rights or in favor of reinstating school prayer.
_______12. What our country really needs is a strong, determined leader who will crush the evil of pushy Christian religious people, and take us forward to our true path.
_______13. Some of the best people in our country are those who are challenging our government, supporting religion, and ignoring the “normal way” things are supposed to be done.
_______14. We should strongly punish those who try to uphold what they claim are “God’s laws” about abortion, pornography, and marriage, when they break the actual laws of the country in order to do so.
_______15. There are many radical, immoral Christian people in our country today, who are trying to ruin it for their religious purposes, whom the authorities should put out of action.
_______16. A Christian’s place should be wherever he or she wants to be. The days when Christians are submissive to the conventions of this country belong strictly in the past.
_______17. Our country will be great if we honor the ways of progressive thinking, do what the best liberal authorities tell us to do, and get rid of the religious and conservative “rotten apples” who are ruining everything.
_______18. With respect to environmental issues, there is no “ONE right way” to live life; everybody has to create their own way.
_______19. Christian Fundamentalists should be praised for being brave enough to defy the current societal and legal norms.
_______20. This country would work a lot better if certain groups of Christian troublemakers would just shut up and accept their group’s proper place in society.