Demographic Change Narratives and Democratic Backsliding


March 30, 2022

Demographic Change Narratives and Democratic Backsliding

Recently, more attention is needed on how attitudes about democracy are developing among the public. There is mounting evidence for increasing anti-democratic sentiment among the American public. These views present a threat to the function of American government, as well asto the very fabric and cohesion of American society. We also know that these attitudes canmanifest in substantive forms of action, most pertinently demonstrated by the January 6th attack on the Capitol. The existence of these views among Americans is no longer in question, but what is still unknown pertains to where they come from and how they are motivated. If the American public is becoming more anti-democratic, why is this happening? In this project, the researcher provides evidence that ideas and messages about racial demographic change are shifting public attitudes about American democracy.

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