The Autocracy Bias: Evaluating Democratic Citizens' Perception of Human Rights Violations in Policy Proposals Abroad.

This article investigates how citizens in democratic countries perceive human rights violations in foreign policies based on the governing regime's type, introducing the concept of "autocracy bias." Through nine survey experiments across seven democracies involving over 17,000 respondents, the study finds that democratic citizens are more likely to view identical policies—such as COVID-19 containment measures—as violations of human rights when attributed to authoritarian regimes like China, compared to democratic countries like Italy or Spain. The research identifies regime type as the primary mechanism driving this bias, rather than geographic, economic power, or immigration-related factors, and shows that this negative perception extends broadly to other authoritarian regimes, with China being particularly affected. These findings highlight the implications of autocracy bias for international human rights advocacy, foreign policy, and public opinion, emphasizing the need for evidence-based assessments that avoid stereotyping based on regime type.