Populism divides the world into "us" vs. "them," typically understood through its vertical dimension: the people vs. the corrupt elite. In contrast, its horizontal dimension—divisions between groups within society—has primarily been explored in European contexts, focusing on nativist attitudes toward immigrants. However, how populism shapes attitudes toward outgroups remains understudied, particularly in contexts where nativism is not the primary horizontal divide. This gap is especially critical, as attitudes toward the electoral and liberal rights of outgroups have profound implications for democratic backsliding.
This paper examines the impact of populist attitudes on outgroup rights by bridging two strands of literature: the effect of populist attitudes on outgroup perspectives and their impact on democratic attitudes. Using original survey data from Turkey, where in- and out-group designations are primarily situated around partisanship and not nativity, we find that higher levels of populist attitudes are significantly associated with reduced recognition of outgroups' electoral and liberal rights. These findings reveal a new mechanism through which populist attitudes undermine democracy—beyond eroding support for liberal democratic institutions such as the separation of powers and rule of law. By diminishing support for the rights of outgroups, populist attitudes threaten the foundations of democratic rule.