The Psychology of Supporting a Strong Man Leader

Throughout history, many people seek out and support "strong man" leaders (and 'man' is intentional, given that the vast majority are indeed men). Part of this might be our evolutionary history, where alpha males were chosen to lead the clan because they could provide physical protection. But why, many millennia later, would so many people support a leader who has the potential to become a tyrant, wielding power and control over those very same subjects who put that person in power? In short, many people support authoritarian, dictatorial leaders, even though those leaders typically don't operate in the best interests of these supporters. Why would people vote against their own self-interests?

Protection From Harm

Clearly, the appeal of strong man leaders is rooted in the perception that they can protect us from harm. It is a well-established principle in social psychology that when a group is threatened by an outside group, the in-group members become more cohesive to fend off any threat. As group cohesiveness increases under conditions of threat (or potential threat), support for the leader typically increases, and it is enhanced if the leader is perceived as someone who is particularly equipped fight back. At its heart, support for strong leaders is rooted in what psychologists call the in-group, out-group bias.

Out-Group........

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