Intergenerational Blame Attribution and Political Ageism among Young Europeans

Bibliographic Data

ID7786752
AuthorsMaral Darakhsh (Stockholm University), K Uba (0000-0002-0715-6492, Uppsala University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume60
Issue4
Pages939-958
Publication date2025-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGovernment and Opposition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0017-257X • E-ISSN: 1477-7053
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/gov.2025.10012
OpenAlexW4412883890
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited60

Recent crises have raised concerns about intergenerational fairness and conflict and claims that older generations imperil the future of young people. These arguments may reflect the political intolerance towards older adults: political ageism. Why and which kinds of young people are more likely to adhere to such views is still uncertain. Prior studies refer to the importance of perceived threats and authoritarian values. We introduce an interaction effect, suggesting that perceived threats temper the impact of authoritarian values on intergenerational blame attribution and discriminatory views against older individuals’ political rights. The analysis of survey data from nine European countries, focusing on respondents aged 18–34, reveals that perceived economic threat rarely relates to increased ageism. Young individuals with authoritarian values are likelier to attribute intergenerational blame and hold politically ageist views. In Sweden and the UK, however, the effect of authoritarian values diminishes when young people perceive economic threats

Attribution · Blame · Demographic economics · Economics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Aging and Gerontology Research · Health disparities and outcomes · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology

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