Digging to the roots: populist attitudes and personality traits in Portugal

Abstract

The study of populism in Portugal has mostly been focused on the supply side, disregarding, to a large extent, the analysis of individual support for populism. This study analyses the relationship between populist attitudes and citizens’ personality traits through the lens of the Big Five Personality Traits model. Our findings underscore the substantial explanatory power of personality traits in understanding not only the prevalence and manifestation of populist attitudes, even when controlling for political efficacy, but also party identification and sociodemographic characteristics. The article concludes that conscientious individuals, especially those who gravitate towards populist parties, are more likely to support stricter regulations, adhere closely to social norms, and align themselves with populist messages out of fear of declining social status and a desire for control to bolster their sense of security.