ABSTRACT
Two prominent factors emerged from the classic Sullivan, Piereson, and Marcus (1982) study of political tolerance. First, there are substantial individual differences in expressions of intolerance. Sullivan, Piereson, and Marcus labeled this “psychological insecurity,” and it was tapped by several different psychological measures. Second, the perception of threat from the most disliked group is a strong predictor of intolerance. This chapter argues that re-conceptualizing psychological security in terms of a modern understanding of authoritarianism can be useful in a number of ways. A major advantage of this approach is that it integrates individual differences and threat into a single framework for understanding political intolerance. Starting with a conceptualization of authoritarian predispositions as the tension between the values of social conformity and independence, this chapter shows how people can express intolerance toward groups that threaten each value, and shows, that a simple measure of authoritarian predispositions is a strong predictor of a range of questions tapping contemporary political intolerance and willingness to use force to address threats. Finally, the chapter shows that authoritarianism—through political intolerance—had a substantial effect on support for Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican primaries.
