Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale, RWA-88 Test - the question form

1. To fix what is happening in our country, we definitely need a “strong hand”; it is time to bring all troublemakers, criminals, and sexual deviants to order.

2. It is good that young people today have a lot of freedom to protest against things they do not like and to do their own thing.

3. It is always better to trust the opinions of authoritative government officials than to listen to the empty talk of those who try to plant doubts in people’s minds.

4. People should pay less attention to the Bible and other traditional sources of religious wisdom and instead develop their own standards of what is moral and immoral.

5. It would be better for everyone if authorities censored all magazines and movies to some extent, to keep immoral material out of young people's hands.

6. Some may say it is old-fashioned, but looking respectable is a hallmark of a true gentleman and, especially, a true lady.

7. The sooner we get rid of the traditional family structure, with the father as the head and children being raised to obey authority without question, the better; there is a lot wrong with the traditional family.

8. There is nothing wrong with premarital sex.

9. The rise in crime, sexual permissiveness, and the breakdown of public order clearly show that we should be much tougher on troublemakers, agitators, and members of deviant groups if we want to preserve our morality and maintain law and order.

10. There is nothing sick or immoral about homosexuality.

11. The rights of minorities and radicals must be fully protected.

12. Obedience to and respect for authorities are the most important things children should learn.

13. Laws requiring “good manners” and respectability are outdated; we should think carefully before adopting such rules.

14. When government officials condemn people who are dangerous to society, it is the duty of every patriotic citizen to help the authorities root out the evil that is eating away at our country from within.

15. “Freedom of speech” means that people should be allowed to give speeches and write books calling for the overthrow of the government.

16. The worst people in our country are those who do not respect our flag, our politicians, and our traditions.

17. In these difficult times, strict laws are needed, especially for those who try to rebel against the authorities.

18. Atheists and people who do not follow a traditional religion are no worse than those who regularly attend church.

19. Young people may sometimes have rebellious ideas, but as they grow up they should outgrow them and settle down.

20. Self-righteous “law and order” authorities threaten freedom in our country far more than those they call “radicals” and “atheists.”

21. People in our justice system are right to be lenient with people who use drugs. Punishment in such cases is not helpful.

22. If a child stops respecting authority and behaving properly, it is the parents’ job to set the child back on the right path.

23. People in authority—whether parents or national leaders—turn out to be right in the end; those who try to protest usually do not really know what they want.

24. Many of our rules about modesty or sexual behavior are simply customs, and are no better than those other people follow.

25. There is absolutely nothing wrong with nude beaches.

26. To live a truly good life, people must learn to obey, be disciplined, and try to follow generally accepted standards of behavior.

27. It is always best to approach people with different views with interest, because new ideas are the key to progressive change.

28. The main threat to our freedom comes from those who are trying to impose on us a way of life that is alien to us, destroy our religion, ridicule our patriotism, and undermine our traditional way of life.

29. Students and schoolchildren should be encouraged to question and challenge the customs and traditions of the society they live in.

30. One reason we have so many rebels and troublemakers is that parents and teachers have forgotten that good old-fashioned physical punishment is one of the best ways to get people to behave properly.