Persistent Problems with the Conceptualization, Measurement, and Study of “Left-Wing Authoritarianism”

Abstract Authoritarianism—measured in multiple ways—is correlated positively with conservative-rightism (and negatively with liberal-leftism) throughout the non-communist world. Nevertheless, the search for left-wing authoritarianism (LWA) in the West continues unabated, with several researchers claiming triumphantly that they have discovered what has been referred to as the Loch Ness monster: an authoritarian syndrome among leftists in North America. The authors administered two LWA scales (Van Hiel-LWA and Conway-LWA) to two US samples (total N = 897) along with other political and psychological variables. They conclude that the Van Hiel-LWA scale gauges authoritarianism but not leftism, whereas the Conway-LWA scale gauges leftist attitudes (especially suspicion of the religious right) but not authoritarianism. They also reanalyzed previously reported data and found that Republicans were as likely as or more likely than Democrats to endorse the most extreme items on this scale.