Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Science

Banal but brutal: Career anxiety as a driving force behind authoritarianism

Career pressure—not ideology—causes military officers to protect or overthrow dictators. New research from the Department of Political Science shows that ambition and anxiety can transform "ordinary men" into the regime's ruthless henchmen—or into those who bury the regime.

Banal but brutal: Career anxiety as a driving force behind authoritarianism
Image: Phys.org
Career pressure—not ideology—causes military officers to protect or overthrow dictators. New research from the Department of Political Science shows that ambition and anxiety can transform "ordinary men" into the regime's ruthless henchmen—or into those who bury the regime.

Originally published at Phys.org

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