It is said that uncertainty drives voters to support politics that ultimately go against their own interests. What this generally means is that atmospheres of insecurity push voters into backing politicians who play on their fears by offering solutions, not just to pressing real-world issues, but to a perceived loss of status or privilege.
These politicians often find ‘others’ to blame, while promising to help those who feel that the system is no longer working for them. Yet such support represents a double-edged sword: the policies these politicians implement can foment mistrust even further, thereby worsening the very problems they claim to want to fix.
Of late, we have heard a lot about the economically self-destructive nature of policies based on nationalism and xenophobia, and for good reason — isolationism shrinks markets, often to the detriment of workers.
Thus in the US, media is replete with stories about how, for instance, farmers in conservative states continue to support President Trump even after his disastrous trade wars threaten their livelihoods. Meanwhile, in the UK, support for Brexit continues unabated, and even grows, in the face of warnings that a no-deal exit could lead to rising interest rates, lower GDP and economic recession.
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