RESEARCH ON AUTHORITARIANISM - BETWEEN TRADITION AND EMANCIPATION

After presenting the most recent literature on authoritarianism a shor t overview of the historical circumstances and the reactions to the pu blication of the seminal book ''The Authoritarian Personality'' ist gi ven. Different approaches towards reformulation and clarification of t he issue of authoritarianism are presented. Thoug most of the studies apply questionnaires as measurement devices, we highly recommend alter native measurement procedures and some of these are described. The end uring controversy of an authoritarianism of the left has come to an en d - at least for some years - according to the most recent empirical s tudies in Eastern and Western countries.