Dark personalities in politicians may intensify partisan hatred—particularly among their biggest fans

Dark personalities in politicians may intensify partisan hatred—particularly among their biggest fans

A new international study suggests that voters who support political candidates with darker personality traits—such as narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism—may experience stronger emotional divides from their political opponents. But this association appears only among those who feel a close ideological connection with these candidates, and not in response to disliked political rivals. The findings shed light on how the personality trai…

The collapse of democracies on the background of economic instability has an extremely negative impact on freedom of speech in many countries around the world.

Javier Milei One of the main tenets of political science, based on empirical evidence from the 20th century, states that the growing level of polarization in discourse constitutes a dangerous tool for democratic stability. When political actors resorted to it, primarily anti-system parties, partisan competition became centrifugal (taking proposals to extremes), and with it many democracies collapsed. That is why I view with concern the strategy …

When the centre cannot hold: US polarisation is driving the word away

Once admired for its democratic institutions, cultural dynamism, and global leadership, the United States now finds itself in a different spotlight. The collapse of the political centre — a space once occupied by moderates capable of compromise — has left America lurching between ideological extremes. And the world is watching, not with awe, but with […]