Why do we vote for undemocratic politicians? A rapidly evolving body of literature

Abstract

In more and more Western democracies, voters face the following dilemma: Should one vote for a democratically minded candidate with whom one disagrees politically, or for a candidate from one’s own party who threatens democracy? New research shows that most voters prioritize party loyalty over democratic principles and thus accept undemocratic behavior from their own political camp, posing one of the greatest challenges to our democracies today. This review article provides a systematic overview of the burgeoning research literature on why voters act as they do, how they perceive their own behavior, and what interventions can increase the willingness to uphold democratic principles – even when it comes at a political cost. The article thus equips the reader to reach a better understanding of why undemocratic leaders in Western democracies can break one democratic rule after another without being punished at the ballot box.