Scapegoating is a central mechanism within fascist regimes, employed to consolidate power, unify the majority population, and legitimize authoritarian control. In times of social, economic, or political crisis, fascist leaders identify marginalized groups — such as minorities, immigrants, or political dissidents — as the source of national decline. This process simplifies complex societal problems, channels collective anxiety, and fosters in-group cohesion through the exclusion and demonization of an “other.”

Psychological theories like Social Identity Theory and research on authoritarian personalities explain how scapegoating satisfies a deep-seated human need for belonging and control in uncertain times. It offers a clear, emotionally charged enemy and thereby justifies repressive state actions, including censorship, surveillance, and violence. As theorists like Hannah Arendt and Umberto Eco have observed, fascism’s survival depends on the constant creation of internal enemies, making scapegoating not a byproduct but an essential feature of authoritarian rule.

Understanding this mechanism remains crucial for identifying and resisting contemporary forms of authoritarianism that rely on similar strategies of exclusion and blame.

The 10 Signs of Fascism — And Why People Are Drawn to It

History has a way of repeating itself, especially when collective fears and frustrations go unanswered. Fascism — often thought of as a relic of the 20th century — isn’t just a political ideology but a psychological phenomenon, rooted in human tendencies toward control, tribalism, and the seduction of simplicity in a complex world.

So what exactly characterizes fascism, and why are people drawn to it, even in modern societies? Let’s break it down.

The 10 Classic Signs of Fascism

These signs were notably outlined by historian Laurence W. Britt in his 2003 essay “Fascism Anyone?” after analyzing multiple 20th-century fascist regimes. They serve as warning markers when democratic values begin to erode:

1️⃣ Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

Fascist regimes promote constant patriotic messaging, national myths, and idealized versions of the nation’s past, presenting their country as exceptional, pure, and under threat from outsiders.

2️⃣ Disdain for Human Rights

Fascism dehumanizes marginalized groups and encourages public apathy or support for abuses like torture, censorship, and discrimination — all justified by supposed national interests.

3️⃣ Identification of Enemies as a Unifying Cause

A common enemy (ethnic minorities, immigrants, religious groups, dissenters) is essential. This scapegoating offers a convenient distraction from internal issues and channels public discontent.

4️⃣ Supremacy of the Military

Militarism is glorified, and the armed forces receive disproportionate funding and reverence. Leaders are often portrayed as warriors safeguarding the homeland.

5️⃣ Rampant Sexism

Fascist systems reinforce traditional gender roles, restrict women’s rights, and persecute LGBTQ+ people, viewing them as threats to social order and purity.

6️⃣ Controlled Mass Media

While media may technically remain private, it’s heavily censored, co-opted by propaganda, or attacked as “the enemy of the people” if it challenges state narratives.

7️⃣ Obsession with National Security

An exaggerated emphasis on internal and external threats keeps the population in fear, justifying surveillance, repression, and aggressive foreign policy.

8️⃣ Religion and Government Intertwined

Fascists co-opt dominant religions, positioning themselves as defenders of faith and morality, while demonizing secularism and minority beliefs.

9️⃣ Corporate Power Protected

Economic elites are often shielded and empowered, with industries supporting the regime in exchange for political favoritism and suppression of labor rights.

🔟 Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

Critical thinking and creative expression are threats to fascist control. Scholars, artists, and educators may be silenced, labeled as subversive, or forced into conformity.

Why Do People Embrace Fascism? The Psychological Motivations

Understanding the why requires delving into collective psychology, particularly in times of instability. Certain deep-seated needs and fears make fascist ideology appealing:

🔸 Fear and Uncertainty

In periods of economic hardship, political chaos, or cultural change, people crave security and order. Fascism promises both through rigid control and simple answers to complex problems.

🔸 Tribalism and In-Group Favoritism

Humans have evolved to form tight social groups for survival. Fascism exploits this by promoting hyper-nationalism and demonizing “the other” to strengthen group cohesion.

🔸 Authoritarian Personality Traits

Some individuals display a psychological preference for hierarchy, obedience, and punishment of nonconformity. Studies since the 1950s (like The Authoritarian Personality by Adorno et al.) have linked these traits to fascist sympathies.

🔸 Desire for a Clear Identity

In an increasingly globalized and diverse world, fascism offers a seductive identity based on ethnicity, tradition, and purity — a way to feel special and superior.

🔸 Resentment of Elites and Intellectuals

When people feel ignored by technocrats, intellectuals, or urban elites, populist fascism exploits this resentment, presenting the leader as a “voice of the people.”

🔸 Mythologizing the Past

Nostalgia is a powerful coping mechanism. Fascist movements often promise a return to a glorified, simplified past where people “knew their place” and life was “better.”

🔸 The Seduction of Strength and Control

In times of personal or national powerlessness, decisive, authoritarian figures appeal to the desire for protection and control, even at the cost of freedom.

Why Fascism Needs Scapegoating: A Psychological and Political Tool

Scapegoating is the act of blaming a person or group for problems they didn’t cause, usually to divert attention from those in power and to unify a majority population against a perceived common enemy.

In fascism, scapegoating serves several essential functions:

1️⃣ Unifies the In-Group Through Shared Hatred

Fascist ideologies rely on a strong sense of us vs. them. By identifying a minority, outsider, or dissenting group as responsible for a nation’s hardships — whether economic decline, crime, moral decay, or cultural change — fascist leaders create a shared external threat.

Relevant Source:

Psychological Concept:
Social Identity Theory (Henri Tajfel, 1979) suggests that people derive part of their self-worth from the groups they belong to. Creating a demonized “out-group” strengthens in-group cohesion and personal identity.

2️⃣ Distracts from Systemic Problems and Leadership Failures

Economic hardship, inequality, political instability — these are complex, systemic issues. Fascist regimes simplify them by pointing to scapegoats: ethnic minorities, immigrants, religious groups, political dissidents, or intellectuals.

By shifting blame, leaders avoid accountability and maintain control.

Relevant Source:

3️⃣ Legitimizes Authoritarian Policies

Once a scapegoat is established as a dangerous enemy, it becomes easier to justify surveillance, mass arrests, censorship, militarization, or purging opposition under the guise of “protecting the people.”

Relevant Example:

  • Nazi Germany’s demonization of Jews, Roma, disabled people, and political dissidents enabled the legal and social justification for concentration camps, the Nuremberg Laws, and mass surveillance.

Relevant Source:

  • Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951) explains how totalitarian regimes manipulate collective fear through scapegoating, enabling repression.

4️⃣ Channels Mass Anxiety and Fear

In times of uncertainty — economic crashes, pandemics, wars — people experience anxiety over loss of control. Scapegoating externalizes these anxieties. Instead of feeling powerless, citizens can focus anger and fear on a visible target.

Relevant Source:

  • Wilhelm Reich’s The Mass Psychology of Fascism (1933) examines how fascist systems tap into collective anxieties, using scapegoating as emotional catharsis for disempowered populations.

Modern Psychological Finding:

  • A 2018 paper in Political Psychology (Jasko, LaFree, & Kruglanski) showed that people with high uncertainty-avoidance tendencies are more likely to support violent extremism when offered scapegoating narratives.