Backlash among the dominant

Assessing support for elitism in four European countries

Bibliographic Data

ID7971972
AuthorsBram Spruyt (0000-0003-0573-724X, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium), Didier Caluwaerts (0000-0002-1641-0886, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium), Céline Darnon (0000-0003-2613-689X, Université Clermont Auvergne Clermont‐Ferrand France), Matthew J Easterbrook (0000-0002-9353-5957, University of Sussex Brighton UK), Leandros Kavadias (0000-0002-4985-8396, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium), Rebekka Kesberg (0000-0002-2240-2401, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam the Netherlands), Toon Kuppens (0000-0002-7056-4288, University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands), Antony Manstead (0000-0001-7540-2096, Cardiff University Cardiff UK), Lien Smets (0000-0003-0737-8578, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium), J Van Noord (0000-0002-2351-0260, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium)
Year2025
Volume46
Issue6
Pages1768-1787
Publication date2025-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0162-895X • E-ISSN: 1467-9221
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/pops.70010
OpenAlexW4408370396
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited45

In recent decades, populism has gained momentum in many Western countries and has increased the salience of the category “the people” in contemporary politics. This success of populist politics may evoke a backlash effect among more dominant groups in general, and the higher educated in particular, potentially triggering support for elitism. Based on preregistered analyses of survey data from four countries (the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece), we find that support for elitism is more prevalent among members of groups that occupy dominant social positions in society (i.e., the higher educated, higher subjective income). We also find that education‐based identity, but not income‐based identity, amplifies these differences. Finally, elitist attitudes are embedded in a broader worldview that represents the status quo as fair (system justification) and opposes measures aimed at increasing social equality (anti‐egalitarianism

Backlash · Elitism · Political science · Politics · Engineering · Law · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Psychology · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Social Psychology · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

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