Backlash among the dominant: Assessing support for elitism in four European countries

Abstract

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).