Publication Date
2025
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Schraufnagel, Scot
Degree Name
Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
Legacy Department
Department of Political Science
Abstract
In 2016, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump won the race for the oval office. The victory took many by surprise, leading scholars to attempt to explain his electoral victory. Out of several explanations, the concept of status threat gained a prominent position within the literature. The approach, generally, argued that members of certain groups perceived their position in society was under threat, which led them to support political conservatism in an effort to protect the dominant social hierarchy.
More broadly, the extant literature on status threat investigated the concept’s influence on political orientations, issue positions, vote choice, and group dynamics, to name a few. Despite this important scholarship, the contributions have been limited in their scope, focusing on unique events or triggers and reactions among dominant subgroups. Critically, there lacked a consistent definition and operationalization of status threat.
Analyzing these holes in the literature led to the animating question for this dissertation: ‘To what extent does status threat influence politics in the United States and how has this changed over time?’ To address this puzzle, I not only work to conceptualize status threat, but also investigate which individuals are more likely to perceive status threat; its influence on issue positions, vote choice, and political participation; and evaluate these relationships at several different points in time. An especially unique contribution is this repeated cross-sectional analysis. By exploring the implications of status threat at several points in time, specifically the eight presidential elections between 1988 and 2016, I am able to determine whether the concept is more generalizable than has yet to be recognized.
Recommended Citation
Epping, Cassandra F., "The Threat of a Changing Social Hierarchy: Status Threat and Its Effects" (2025). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 8114.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/8114
Extent
638 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
