The Securitarian Personality

Reviews / Votes

[T]his is an insightful psychological profile of the voters Trump is counting on in 2020. * Publishers Weekly * John Hibbing set out to understand the motivations not of Trump voters, but of his fire-breathing base. In doing so, he has produced an original, nuanced, fair-minded, and fascinating empirical account of what he labels the 'securitarian personality.' Hibbing argues that securitarians define one side of the most fundamental divide in modern societies. They will be a disruptive force in our politics well after Trump, one that must be understood and reckoned with. This important book makes compelling reading both for social scientists and Trump's strongest supporters and opponents. * Thomas E. Mann, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, and Resident Scholar, University of California, Berkeley * Trump enthusiasts are not who you think they are. In this smart, engaging psychological exploration, Hibbing punctures some popular stereotypes, shows us what really motivates them, and explains why they will be around long after President Trump exits the stage. * Larry M. Bartels, May Werthan Shayne Chair of Public Policy and Social Science, Vanderbilt University * For years, John Hibbing has been one of the world's most fearless, creative, and adventurous political scientists, readily embracing and incorporating new discoveries in psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral genetics. He needs all of that and more to understand the dedicated, fervent Trump supporter. Hibbing's analysis - based on extensive interviews, participant observation, and public opinion polls - is extremely insightful and intuitively convincing. It is an outstanding, thought-provoking work of interdisciplinary scholarship. * John T. Jost, Co-Director of the Center for Social and Political Behavior and Professor, New York University, and author of A Theory of System Justification * Foundational work on the psychology of politics tests what makes Trump venerators psychologically unique. Unlike prior accounts, Hibbing puts aside theories of economic bitterness, feelings of fear, and authoritarianism. Drawing instead on evolutionary and political psychology, Hibbing combines insights from interviews and a unique survey to suggest that Trump venerators are continuing the evolutionary-long tradition of desiring security from outsiders. The first step to reducing the risks they pose to democratic processes, Hibbing suggests, is to understand that many of our fellow citizens have a fundamentally different and securitarian approach towards perceived outsiders. * Mark J. Brandt, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University * An illuminating look at the drivers of illiberal nativism - and of support for its chief modern exponent. * Kirkus *