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Did scientists just confirm the horseshoe theory of politics? Extremism fuels protest across ideological lines


Published on 2025-03-20 10:20:40 - PsyPost
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  • People are more likely to take part in protests and other forms of collective action when the cause aligns with their political values. However, new research suggests that political extremism itself
  • regardless of ideology
  • also drives activism.

The article from MSN discusses a study that explores the "horseshoe theory" of politics, which posits that the far-left and far-right are more similar in behavior than traditional linear political spectrums suggest. Researchers from the University of Amsterdam and the University of California, Berkeley, found that political extremism, regardless of ideological alignment, often leads to similar protest behaviors. The study, published in the journal *Science Advances*, analyzed data from 2019 to 2021 across 12 countries, revealing that both far-left and far-right groups engage in protests with similar intensity and frequency, driven by a commonality in their radical tactics and opposition to the political center. This convergence in behavior supports the horseshoe theory, suggesting that extreme ideologies, despite their differences in policy and philosophy, share a propensity for activism and disruption.

Read the Full PsyPost Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/did-scientists-just-confirm-the-horseshoe-theory-of-politics-extremism-fuels-protest-across-ideological-lines/ar-AA1Bjdc8 ]