WORKING-CLASS AUTHORITARIANISM - EVALUATION OF A RESEARCH TRADITION AND AN EMPIRICAL-TEST

In this paper, Lipset's core theory on working-class authoritarianism is reconstructed more completely than in previous studies. The core theory was tested using data from a 1985 national Dutch survey. We found support for Lipset's hypothesis that the working class favours economic liberalism. But his hypothesis that the working class is conservative on non-economic issues was rejected. The hypothesis that authoritarianism has a positive effect on non-economic conservatism was confirmed, whereas the hypothesis that authoritarianism affects economic liberalism positively was rejected. Examination of a third set of hypotheses revealed that education has a negative and economic insecurity has a positive effect on authoritarianism. Crucial is our finding that authoritarianism is not induced by belonging to the working class as such. However, belonging to the class of small proprietors with employees does strongly induce authoritarianism. A number of other predictors of authoritarianism mentioned by Lipset did not prove to be significant.