This post is based on this quote from Robert Paxton's Book, The Anatomy of Fascism
“They expected that inevitable war would allow the master races, united and self-confident, to prevail, while the divided, “mongrelized,” and irresolute peoples would become their handmaidens. Fascism had become conceivable, as we will soon see, because it offered a new way of responding to the anxieties of an age of mass politics, mass mobilization, and acute social tension.”
– Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism
First, Paxton’s key insight
Let's first look at Paxton's key insight.
Fascism is not simply an ideology. It’s a mobilizing process - it emerges out of systemic breakdowns, unresolved tensions, and the failures of existing institutions to adapt to accelerating social, political, and economic complexity.
In systems language
- Fascism arises when a system’s existing governance structures, narratives, and feedback mechanisms lose their capacity to absorb growing tensions.
- It is a form of path-dependent systemic response to perceived loss of control, identity, or coherence in the face of destabilizing forces.
The system conditions Paxton describes are classic complex adaptive system stressors:
- Rapid social change (modernization, urbanization, mass politics)
- Shifting power dynamics (loss of imperial power, decline of old elites)
- Economic instability (global depression, unemployment, inflation)
- Mass disorientation (loss of cultural anchors, new media environments)
These are nonlinear, interacting stressors - not unlike the kinds of "polycrisis" or "tipping points" we talk about in contemporary systems change.
Fascism as an emergent attractor:
In systems terms, fascism operates as an emergent attractor that offers:
- Simple narratives that resolve complexity into “us vs. them” binaries.
- Restored identity (purity, unity, strength) for disoriented populations.
- Rapid action (often violent or extralegal) that bypasses paralyzed institutions.
- A centralizing control structure that promises to stabilize perceived chaos.
Systems under great stress often seek lower-complexity attractors - simplifications that provide temporary homeostasis. Fascism exploits this dynamic brutally.
Why this matters for systems change practice:
- Systems change isn’t always progressive. Change processes can produce regressive attractors when people’s legitimate anxieties are hijacked by actors offering oversimplified solutions.
- Legitimacy vacuums invite dangerous alternatives. When formal institutions fail to evolve fast enough, informal and extra-institutional movements may fill the vacuum.
- Narrative control is central. Fascist movements masterfully reframed systemic grievances into identity-based, zero-sum narratives. This is why systems change practitioners increasingly recognize the importance of collective sense-making and narrative emergence in shifting systems toward more inclusive, adaptive futures.
- Early signals matter. Paxton emphasizes how fascism initially operates “within the system” before fully seizing power - exploiting democratic weaknesses before destroying democracy. Systems change work often focuses on early feedback signals that show whether adaptation is building resilience or breaking down.
Direct link to democratic systems change:
Democratic systems change practitioners today work precisely at the fault lines where fascism historically gained ground:
- Polarization
- Distrust in institutions
- Declining civic capacity for complexity
- Fragmentation of collective identity
- Erosion of common facts
The core challenge is helping societies maintain adaptive capacity in the face of complexity - rather than falling into the low-complexity attractors of authoritarianism.
Fascism is what happens when systems fail to manage complexity with adaptive, inclusive, participatory change - and instead shift to autocratic simplifications that promise certainty, purity, and control.
Structure of Causal Loop Diagram: Fascism as Systems Failure
Here is the structure of a basic causal loop diagram representing "Fascism as Systems Failure":
Fascism as Systems Failure: Causal Loops
Core Feedback Loops
Complexity-Stress Loop (Reinforcing)
- Rapid Social Change (+)
- Institutional Capacity (-)
- Social Disorientation (+)
- Anxiety & Fear (+)
- Demand for Simple Narratives (+)
- Vulnerability to Authoritarian Movements (+)
Explanation: Rapid modernization, economic shifts, and social change outpace institutional adaptation, fueling public anxiety and making simplified explanations appealing.
Legitimacy-Erosion Loop (Reinforcing)
- Institutional Failure (+)
- Public Distrust (+)
- Weakening of Democratic Norms (+)
- Elite Fragmentation (+)
- Openings for Demagogues (+)
- Alternative Power Structures (+)
- Further Institutional Failure (+)
Explanation: As institutions fail to address growing complexity, trust erodes, elites splinter, and non-democratic actors gain influence, further weakening institutional legitimacy.
Identity-Threat Loop (Reinforcing)
- Cultural Mixing / Migration (+)
- Perceived Identity Threat (+)
- Nationalist Identity Narratives (+)
- In-Group Solidarity (+)
- Out-Group Blame (+)
- Political Polarization (+)
- Identity Threat (+)
Explanation: Social diversity and cultural change activate identity-based fears, which are exploited by fascist narratives framing diversity as existential threat.
Order-Restoration Loop (Reinforcing)
- Fear of Chaos (+)
- Desire for Strong Leadership (+)
- Support for Authoritarian Solutions (+)
- Centralized Power (+)
- Suppression of Dissent (+)
- Temporary Stability (+)
- Long-Term System Fragility (+)
Explanation: As fear grows, people support leaders who promise stability through strong central control, but these solutions create brittle systems that suppress adaptive capacity.
Key Insight for Systems Change:
Fascism emerges not as an isolated ideology, but as a systemic attractor in the context of governance failure, complexity mismanagement, narrative control breakdowns, and identity threat amplification. Effective systems change must strengthen adaptive capacity, narrative pluralism, and inclusive governance to prevent these reinforcing loops from locking in.
