A matter of trust? Analyzing the relationship between attitudes toward COVID-19 countermeasures and right-wing ideology in Germany

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has divided societies, especially regarding vaccine mandates. While research suggests that political ideology plays a crucial role in whether people support or oppose COVID-19 countermeasures, the relationship between these attitudes and political ideology remains unclear, with varying results across different countries. The present research focuses on right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) in Germany, examining its role as a predictor. Prior studies highlight that, conservatives and right-wing authoritarians, particularly in the USA, tend to hold more negative attitudes toward COVID-19 countermeasures despite RWA's usual association with unwavering support for state authorities. Therefore, the present survey study (N = 1063) investigated whether trust in politics and science moderates this relationship. Contrary to expectations, the findings revealed that RWA consistently predicted support for vaccine mandates independent of trust levels. Results are discussed about the specifics of the German case and more general relationships between political ideology and the support of state authorities.