"Trump is clearly an authoritarian leader, according to Dean and Altemeyer, but most of their book is devoted to examining and explaining authoritarian followers using psychological questions and personality tests. Altemeyer’s 'RWA' scale measures how much someone believes in right-wing authoritarianism based on their responses to various statements. For example: 'Our country desperately needs a mighty leader who will do what has to be done to destroy the radical new ways and sinfulness that are ruining us.' RWA followers strongly agree with this statement.
"Those who score high on the RWA scale are submissive to authority but can be aggressive on behalf of that authority. They are conventional in their thinking and behavior, highly religious, have less education, are highly prejudiced against other groups, oppose equal opportunity, lack critical-thinking skills, and often hold inconsistent positions. They 'have only a superficial belief in liberty and democracy,' the authors write. When authoritarians and their followers talk about how much they value freedom, they are talking about their own freedom — not that of others. They believe in being lenient if they and their leaders break the law but merciless against those they deem inferior, according to Dean and Altemeyer." --Linda Killian in a review of "Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and His Followers," by John Dean and Bob Altemeyer. For a visual of these right wing authoritarians, see post below.
