Publication details
Political leaders and nepotism : What we are willing to accept in condition of threat
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | This research addresses the global phenomenon of backsliding democracy and the recent shift toward autocratic leaders in democratic nations. By integrating perspectives from religious studies and psychology, the study explores how social and cultural threats—frequently utilized in political rhetoric—impact social resilience and political polarization. The theoretical framework focuses on the tension between moral universalism and group loyalty, specifically how threat or conflict may cause individuals to prioritize their kin and in-group. The paper aims at testing the prediction that a perceived threat, and the resulting need for a strong authoritative leader to protect the group, will decrease sensitivity to that leader’s moral hypocrisy. Furthermore, the researchers hypothesize that participants in a threat condition will exhibit higher levels of support for nepotism compared to those in non-threat conditions, or at least show a diminished preference for non-nepotistic leaders. The experimental design includes a pilot study dedicated to free-listing social and cultural threats and measuring the balance between individual morality and group loyalty. The main study employs threat/non-threat exposure and uses vignettes or behavioral measures to evaluate participant support for nepotistic versus non-nepotistic leaders. Future steps for this research include investigating the specific mechanisms behind these reactions, exploring varied types of threats, and examining the "sacredness" of leaders who appear "immune to law". |
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