A landmark NYU study published in the journal Nature reveals that explicit support for white nationalism in the US is higher among young white men than any other group in the white population measured, as well as among individuals with less education, lower incomes, and those experiencing social strain. Researchers utilized national surveys involving more than 7,800 non-Hispanic white adults to document these characteristics.
The organized white nationalist movement has become more visible across the United States over the past few decades, from social media to the streets of Washington, DC. Yet, quantifying public backing for these extremist movements has been challenging. A CSMaP research project from New York University’s Center for Social Media, AI, and Politics delivers the inaugural study detailing behavioral, economic, and demographic traits associated with open backing for white nationalism within the American white demographic.
By assessing responses across three national surveys conducted in 2021, 2024, and 2024-25, the research team mapped how age, socioeconomic status, and social isolation intersect with political beliefs.
Demographic Vulnerabilities: Age, Education, and Economic Distress
The data demonstrates a distinct deviation from standard political trends regarding generational attitudes. While younger demographics typically skew more liberal on racial matters, the CSMaP study found the opposite concerning white nationalist beliefs among young white men.
“Young people typically have more liberal views on racial matters, but the opposite is true for white nationalist beliefs among young white men,” explains NYU Professor Patrick Egan, the paper’s lead author and director of the Berkley Institute for Civil Discourse and Civic Solutions.
According to Egan, hard-line rhetoric has historically targeted young males across the political spectrum, though it remains to be seen whether white nationalism will maintain its appeal for this cohort as they mature. Beyond age, support was higher among white individuals possessing lower levels of education and lower incomes.
Furthermore, individual hardship and local economic distress emerged as a significant predictor. James Bisbee, an assistant professor of political science at Vanderbilt University and a study author, points out that such conditions can create conditions for grievance and resentment.
“We found backing for white nationalism was stronger in areas with higher incidences of poverty and unemployment, and for those experiencing personal difficulties like health problems and the loss of loved ones—all of which can create conditions for grievance and resentment,” Bisbee states.
The Impact of Digital Isolation Versus Social Media Consumption
A critical contribution of the research involves assumptions regarding digital platforms. The authors found no relationship between frequency of social media use and support for white nationalism.
However, the architecture of a person’s immediate social circle—specifically online versus offline relationships—plays a role. NYU Professor Joshua A. Tucker, co-director of CSMaP and a paper author, clarifies the nuance.
“More frequent social media use was not correlated with higher support for white nationalist ideas,” Tucker explains. “However, endorsement of these ideas is much more prevalent among people for whom two or three of their three closest friends are people they know primarily online, as opposed to offline.”
This pattern implies that online interactions may carry heightened significance for individuals who lack physical social connections, potentially increasing their inclination to embrace the perspectives shared by their digital networks.
In Plain English: The Clinical Takeaway
- Demographic Markers: Explicit support for white nationalism is higher among young white men, individuals with lower incomes and education levels, and among white Republicans, conservatives, and those who are politically disaffected.
- The Role of Stress: Personal difficulties—such as health problems, personal loss, and local economic deprivation—are predictors of support for extremist grievances.
- Digital Isolation Risk: Frequency of social media use alone does not predict support; rather, endorsement is more prevalent when an individual’s closest friends are known primarily online.
Methodological Rigor and Validation
Gathering accurate metrics on political movements can be challenging. To overcome this, the CSMaP researchers deployed a direct survey measure across three national surveys conducted in 2021, 2024, and 2024-25, encompassing more than 7,800 non-Hispanic white US adults.
Prior to answering questions regarding white nationalism, participants read a short description outlining the movement’s core tenets as commonly invoked by self-described white nationalists. Confidential online collection protocols helped reduce concerns that participants might be reluctant to disclose their true attitudes. To ensure data integrity, the team used survey experiments to rule out concerns regarding question wording, inattentive respondents, response acquiescence, or priming due to placement of questions within the survey. The resulting measures were subsequently validated by assessing their strength of association with established constructs of racial attitudes from scholarship in political science, psychology, and sociology.
| Predictor Category | Specific Characteristic | Statistical Correlation to Support |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | Age and Gender | Higher among young white men than any other group in the white population measured |
| Socioeconomic | Education and Income | Higher among those with less education and lower incomes |
| Environmental Stress | Economic Distress and Personal Hardship | Stronger in areas with higher poverty and unemployment, and for those with health problems or loss of loved ones |
| Social Connectivity | Online-Only Friendships | More prevalent among those whose closest friends are primarily online |
| Digital Habits | Total Social Media Screen Time | No relationship between frequency of use and support |
