‘Left behind’ and an undemocratic mind? The link between perceived marginalization and democratic orientations

Abstract The ‘left behind’, commonly defined by socio-economic factors such as rural residence, working-class status, and subjective perceptions of marginalization, have been repeatedly linked to support for populism and authoritarianism. However, it remains unclear whether the left behind are truly turning away from democracy and whether and how perceived marginalization (understood as a lack of recognition in different areas) is linked to fundamental democratic orientations (democratic attitudes, understandings, and governance preferences) that go beyond support for populist parties or specific policies. Using data from about 2,500 respondents in both the United States and Germany, I investigate how perceived societal marginalization is related to democratic orientations while accounting for traditional socio-economic factors. The results show that a lack of cultural recognition (feeling that one’s values are becoming less important or that one’s group cannot freely express its opinion in public) is associated with lower democratic support, an authoritarian and majoritarian understanding of politics, and higher support for authoritarian governance. Conversely, feeling unseen and unheard by politicians is associated with dissatisfaction with democracy and lower support for representative governance but also with high democratic support, a liberal understanding of politics, and support for citizen-centered decision-making in the form of referendums. These findings challenge simplistic portrayals of the left behind as inherently undemocratic. They also highlight the need for nuanced approaches to engage the left behind based on the dimensions in which they experience a lack of recognition to ensure democratic stability.