The Hidden Psychology of Populism: How Insecurity Shapes How We Vote

Younger generations carry the burden of economic instability, often finding the milestones of homeownership and secure retirement slipping further out of reach than they were for their grandparents. As traditional social safety nets fray, many people are left navigating a profound sense of anxiety and social disconnection. This raises the question: Why do financial elites continue to achieve overwhelming success at the ballot box? How does the media manipulate voters to support outcomes that ultimately undermine their own well-being and erode psychological safety in society?

To better understand the connection between well-being and political anxiety, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Lorenza Antonucci, PhD, one of Europe’s leading voices on the human cost of insecurity.

The discussion centers around her book, Insecurity Politics: How Unstable Lives Lead to Populist Support. In it, Lorenza addresses a troubling shift in global politics: abandoning the idea of meeting public needs, leaving individuals vulnerable and driving support for populism. She highlights the foundational, empathetic, collective solutions that shift responsibility for economic and psychological safety nets from the state to employers.

Original Air Date Wednesday, September 30, 2026

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Meet Our Guest:

Lorenza Antonucci, PhD, is one of Europe’s leading voices on the human cost of insecurity. She is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge and a former German Kennedy Memorial Fellow at Harvard University’s Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies. Her research sits at the intersection of everyday life, inequality, and politics, bringing the lived realities of financial precarity and work instability into public view.

Her new book, Insecurity Politics: How Unstable Lives Lead to Populist Support, makes a compelling case that rising populism isn’t about anger or ignorance — it’s about ordinary people navigating a world that has grown increasingly uncertain and looking for someone to finally pay attention.

Book: Insecurity Politics: How Unstable Lives Lead to Populist Support

Lorenza Antonucci, PhD—Why People Vote Populist:

Populism and Populists defined. {3:01}
The connection between work, financial insecurity, and Populism. {6:50}
How well-being shapes political anxiety. {10:11}
What happens when psychological safety goes unsupported in society. {20:59}
Collective solutions for insecurities not addressed by Populists. {30:58}

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Shareables:

“When we are in an anxious or fearful state, what does that do to our focus, decision-making, our output, and our contentment with our quality of life? It diminishes.” @LisaKamen on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “As a US consumer of media, I think it is incumbent on us to understand what is going on globally.” @LisaKamen on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “You should not feel crushed by debt.” @SocialLore on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “When Populists are in power for too long, they become part of the elites.” @SocialLore on @HHTalkRadio Share on X

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