Threat perceptions and the globalisation divide
Heiko Giebler, Lukas Antoine, Rasmus Ollroge – 2026
Globalisation has contributed to the emergence of a new societal cleavage. While the structural and organisational dimensions of this divide are well documented, its psychological component remains less understood. Drawing on comparative survey data from 30 countries collected through the Public Attitudes towards the Liberal Script (PALS) project, this research note examines whether individuals who perceive themselves as losers of globalisation differ systematically from others in their perceptions of major societal threats. Subjective losers are more likely to identify immigration, elite influence, and state surveillance as threats, while expressing comparatively less concern about climate change, discrimination, and pandemics. These patterns indicate that the globalisation divide is not only rooted in socio-economic structures but also reflected in distinct threat perceptions that may reinforce identity-driven mobilisation. At the same time, several threat perceptions are widely shared across groups, pointing to potential ‘bridging issues’ that cut across the divide.
