ABSTRACT The article introduces a computational theory explaining why some people support strong leaders in politics, arguing that this support sometimes arises because people view a strong leader as means to address social problems. The theory proposes that people develop a causal map concerning the consequences of the rise of a strong leader. This predicts that support for strong leaders grows when a person believes that a strong leader fosters unity within the community, that unity is needed to address social problems and that failure to address the problems is costly. These predictions are corroborated in three experimental online studies based on vignettes. The theory clarifies why support for strong leaders is often situational (e.g., it occurs only when the leader is thought to foster unity) and why it can sometimes emerge within groups (e.g., the political left and centre) that typically dislike strong leaders as such.
Francesco Rigoli (Wed,) studied this question.