The Erosion of Democratic Norms: A Comparative Case Study of the Rise of the Authoritarian Right in the United States and Germany

Liberal democratic norms have eroded over the 21st century, driven by the rise of right-wing authoritarianism in Western democracies. This study examines the role of anti-immigrant attitudes and shifting social capital structures in fostering right-wing authoritarian values utilizing quantitative data from the United States and Germany. Findings reveal that in the United States, social capital and anti-immigrant attitudes exhibit moderate positive correlations with right-wing authoritarian values, explaining a moderate percentage of the variance. In Germany, the correlations are weaker, with these variables explaining around 5% of the variance. Statistical analyses, including regression and ANOVA, demonstrate that while both independent variables significantly predict right-wing authoritarian values, their explanatory power varies across contexts. This underscores the importance of cultural and institutional differences in shaping authoritarian tendencies. By integrating theoretical frameworks from anti-immigration attitudes, shifting social capital network structures, and authoritarianism, the research highlights the complex interplay of socio-political factors in eroding democratic resilience. The findings contribute to the literature by empirically validating the relationship between social capital, anti-immigrant attitudes, and authoritarianism, offering insights into mitigating these threats to democracy.