Backlash against Liberalism, Views of Importance of Religion, and Perceptions of Vladimir Putin Abroad

Abstract A backlash to the Western-led international order and the associated liberal values influences perceptions of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin abroad. Individuals opposed to increasing diversity and gender equality, and who want China rather than the USA to lead the world, are more likely to favor Putin. Individuals to whom religion is important are more likely to favor Putin, who has promoted traditional religious values, than individuals to whom religion is not important. However, contrary to the expectations stemming from Putin’s identification with conservative or traditional values or a backlash against liberal ones, the backlash effects are conditional and pertain primarily to the context of developed democracies—members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Outside of the OECD, economic factors influence perceptions of Putin more strongly. We analyze 2018 individual-level data from Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes survey by using multilevel estimates to examine variation across twenty-six countries. Our results contribute to our understanding of the role of ideology, norms, and values in international relations.