Globalized Epidemic: Which Individual-LEVEL Political Communication Effects Contribute to Growth of Right-Wing Populism BOTH in Autocracies and Democracies? the CASES of US and Russia.

History presents numerous examples of right-wing populism being the disease autocracies fall prey to. However, recently more and more democratic societies find themselves in danger of losing to the autocratic fears and aspirations. Anti-immigration, anti-elitism, racism and Islamophobia - are among some of the views and attitudes shared by large parts of population both in some democratic and in some autocratic societies nowadays. This study focuses on major individual-level political communication effects that contribute to the formation and growth of right-wing populism both in U.S. and Russia (as examples of divergent political and societal cases). Specifically, it addresses: (a) opinion formation and change, (b) cognitive, (c) perceptual, and (d) behavioral effects.

The study is based on a series of nation-wide representative opinion polls conducted in U.S. and Russia during the past 2 decades.