Liberal Bullies What Psychology Teaches Us about the Left's Authoritarian Problem—and How to Fix It

The political left has an urgent and rising problem with authoritarianism. An alarmingly high percentage of self-identified progressives are punitive, bullying, and intolerant of disagreement— and the problem is getting worse. As social psychologist Luke Conway demonstrates, it’ s not just right-wing extremists who long for an authority figure to crush their enemies, silence opponents, and restore order; it’ s also those who preach “ be kind” and celebrate their “ inclusivity.” A persistent proportion of left-wingers demonstrate authoritarian tendencies, and they’ re becoming more emboldened as they gain cultural and political power. On a range of scientific and social issues, they are increasingly advocating censorship over free debate, disregarding the rule of law, and dehumanizing their opponents. These tendencies are part of an accelerating “ threat circle” of mutual hatred and fear between left and right that could tear apart our basic democratic norms. Concluding with an eloquent call for firm but rational resistance to this rising tide of liberal bullying, Conway presents a path forward that no one concerned about our hyper-partisan political arena can afford to ignore.

Luke Conway, PhD, is a Full Professor of Psychology at Grove City College. His lab is at the forefront of research related to authoritarianism more broadly – and left-wing authoritarianism (LWA) specifically. He is the author of over ninety academic articles and book chapters, and is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. His research has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and others, as well as on the BBC and NPR. He lives in Western Pennsylvania.