B&I Workshop: Howard Lavine (Minnesota)

Howard Lavine (Minnesota) will present his talk, "Status Threat: The Core of Reactionary Politics."

Abstract:
I argue that the illiberal turn in American politics is governed by a process in which "heritage" or "real" Americans believe themselves displaced by social change and seek a return to the hierarchy of the status quo ante. The impetus for this investigation is that inequality based on differences in esteem and respect (i.e., status)-alongside those based on resources and power-is a driving force in the psychology of politics. I propose that status-based concerns work both as an individual-level  motivation for political behavior as well as a broader orientation toward reversing progressive reform. Status threat is triggered when the composition of American identity is challenged through   demographic or social change, or when policies favoring groups generally excluded from the cultural majority threaten to upset the way of life of the dominant group. In this presentation, I will focus-though not exclusively-on the link between status threat and support for democratic backsliding.