A democratic emergency after a health emergency? Exposure to COVID-19, perceived economic threat and support for anti-democratic political systems

Objectives. The urgency of the Covid-19 pandemic has led governments to impose restrictions on individual freedom and required citizens to comply with these restrictions. In addition, lockdowns related to Covid-19 have led to a significant economic crisis. We aimed to study how the pandemic and related economic threats have impacted support for anti-democratic political systems. Method. We analysed data from a quota panel of the Italian adult population (N = 1,195), surveyed once before and once during the pandemic. Results. A hierarchical regression model showed that exposure to Covid-19 and perceived economic insecurity were associated with support for anti-democratic political systems, independent of participants’ predispositions toward a strong leader. Conclusion. An authoritarian personality is not a necessary precondition for individual anti-democracy: when facing severe personal threats, anyone could restore a subjective sense of control over the social world by becoming anti-democratic, independently of their initial predisposition to support for anti-democratic political systems.