"On Russia, Republicans are Skeptical of Internationalism, Vulnerable to Propaganda"
Abstract: Americans’ views of Russia have diverged sharply since 2016, with Republicans less likely than Democrats to view Russia as a threat. Republicans are also less supportive of Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against Russian aggression. These shifts have occurred
in parallel to Russia’s efforts to build a form of conservative soft power by presenting itself as the standard bearer of conservative values in the international system. Using a pre-registered experiment, I test whether Russia is able to increase support among Republicans for its foreign policy aggression by justifying it with conservative rhetoric from the U.S. culture war. I find that such rhetoric (attributed to Russian President Putin)
increases Republican support for Russian aggression and decreases willingness to help the victims of Russian attacks. Contrary to expectations, Republicans who express feeling alienated from American society are not more susceptible to this rhetoric. However, this rhetoric explains only part of the Republican position. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to emphasize narrow conceptions of the national interest and a skepticism
of global governance. These dispositions, associated with Realism, also predict greater acceptance of Russian aggression. Russophilia is not observed; Republicans in the sample express low levels of approval for Russia even when they tolerate its foreign policy aggression.
in parallel to Russia’s efforts to build a form of conservative soft power by presenting itself as the standard bearer of conservative values in the international system. Using a pre-registered experiment, I test whether Russia is able to increase support among Republicans for its foreign policy aggression by justifying it with conservative rhetoric from the U.S. culture war. I find that such rhetoric (attributed to Russian President Putin)
increases Republican support for Russian aggression and decreases willingness to help the victims of Russian attacks. Contrary to expectations, Republicans who express feeling alienated from American society are not more susceptible to this rhetoric. However, this rhetoric explains only part of the Republican position. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to emphasize narrow conceptions of the national interest and a skepticism
of global governance. These dispositions, associated with Realism, also predict greater acceptance of Russian aggression. Russophilia is not observed; Republicans in the sample express low levels of approval for Russia even when they tolerate its foreign policy aggression.