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The coronavirus may trigger tribal instincts. In times of crisis, people want strong leaders.
Story by InglehartDespite President Trump’s inconsistent response to the coronavirus pandemic, his approval ratings rose last month. After months of denying that the virus posed a serious threat, by late March, the United States had more confirmed coronavirus cases than any other country in the world, and Trump suddenly declared a national emergency with himself as a “wartime president.”At that point – to the surprise to many observers – Trump’s approval rating on March 24 rose to the highest level he had attained since becoming president. Why did his approval rating go up, even as medical experts described his performance handling the pandemic with terms ranging from “poor” to “abysmal?”Here’s one explanation. In a recent book, “Cultural Evolution: Peoples’ Motivations are Changing, And Reshaping the World,” I explain how threats to survival trigger what I call the “authoritarian reflex.” Here’s how this plays out…