American Economic Review · 2025 · [{"name": "Ádám Szeidl", "affiliation": []}, {"name": "Ferenc Szücs", "affiliation": []}]
中文摘要
我们将民粹主义建模为一种虚假“替代现实”的传播：根据这种替代现实，知识精英出于纯粹的意识形态原因密谋反对民粹主义者。如果有足够多的选民愿意接受这种替代现实，它就会通过败坏精英真实信息的可信度，从而降低政治问责。精英的批评因为与替代现实更为一致，会增强易接受选民对民粹主义者的支持。替代现实内生地具有阴谋论特征，以便更好地抵御证据。民粹主义者为了利用或强化人们对替代现实的信念，会实施有害政策，而这些政策可能对非精英群体造成不成比例的伤害。这些结果解释了此前未被解释的关于民粹主义的事实。(JEL D72, D82, D83)
Abstract
We model populism as the dissemination of a false “alternative reality,” according to which the intellectual elite conspires against the populist for purely ideological reasons. If enough voters are receptive to it, this alternative reality—by discrediting the elite's truthful message—reduces political accountability. Elite criticism, because it is more consistent with the alternative reality, strengthens receptive voters' support for the populist. Alternative realities are endogenously conspiratorial to resist evidence better. Populists, to leverage or strengthen beliefs in the alternative reality, enact harmful policies that may disproportionately harm the non-elite. These results explain previously unexplained facts about populism. (JEL D72, D82, D83)