What Is Behind the Enduring Appeal of Fascism?

Psychology Today | 03.04.2026 04:33
Fascism is the troublesome political ideology that just won’t go away. It usually begins with great enthusiasm, only to end with catastrophe and regret. Despite this record of misery and failure, fascism continues to attract true believers. It typically gains traction when levels of frustration, fear, anger, and resentment rise a little too high within a relatively free society. People love answers, true or false, that seem to explain their unease. They demand change, and some especially want the kind of change that hurts groups of people they don’t like. Enter stage right, the grinning pseudo-patriot problem solver who promises to make it all better with a mild dose of fascism.