Dark Politics

Drawing on new data from 100 recent elections, post-election surveys, and original experimental evidence, Alessandro Nai and Jürgen Maier provide the first large-scale comparative investigation into the "darker" sides of human personality in politicians. They show that dark traits are acutely present in populists, go hand in hand with more aggressive forms of campaign rhetoric, and are particularly appreciated by voters with dark personality traits. Dark traits can sometimes be electorally successful, and tend to be associated with a better economic performance. However, dark leaders can lead to increased cynicism in the public, democratic deconsolidation, and even a poorer response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, Dark Politics provides a new way to understand contemporary politics by looking at the crucial role of dark personality traits in leaders and voters.