Validation of a model of right-wing extremist attitudes based on a repeated cross-sectional survey in Germany

The paper presents a comprehensive validation of a model for measuring Right-Wing Extremist Attitudes (RWE-A) in Germany, utilizing five repeated cross-sectional surveys from the so-called Mitte-survey (2014–2023), a representative population survey conducted every two years. Building on a long tradition of attitude research, the study examines an 18-item scale representing six theoretically grounded subdimensions: (1) support for a right-wing dictatorship, (2) national chauvinism, (3) trivialization of National Socialism, (4) xenophobia, (5) anti-Semitism and (6) social Darwinism. The survey instrument has been in use in Germany for 20 years, developed by a consensus of experts, to record such an extreme right-wing world view. We tested the psychometric properties of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis and multiple group comparisons, focusing on measurement invariance over time and across demographic subgroups. Our results confirm a coherent, stable second-order factor structure for RWE-A, invariant across all survey waves and most population strata. Notably, also anti-Semitism remains closely tied to the overall construct of RWE-A. The study detects a significant decline in RWE-A from 2014 to 2021, followed by a marked increase in 2023. Latent mean differences indicate a growing polarization in the population. Demographic analyses show consistent associations between RWE-A and lower education, older age, residence in East Germany, and right-wing political self-identification. Voting preferences reveal a sharp increase in RWE-A among supporters of the far-right party “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD). The findings underline the reliability and construct validity of the RWE-A scale and highlight its importance for longitudinal monitoring and comparative research on anti-democratic attitudes.