Why do some citizens support authoritarian regimes?

Question

Why is it that across the world, some people consider authoritarian regimes to be beneficial. Why is this, and why is there a rise on support for authoritarian regimes. Source; http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/sites/default/files/Foa%26Mounk-27-3.pdf

Answer 1

I'm going to broaden the question to include people who support authoritarian characteristics in government and people who support authoritarian traits in politicians.

Generally, support for authoritarianism (or alternatively, anti-democratic sentiment) can be broken down into the following factors:

1. "Us vs. Them": Disdain for political participation of certain (minority) groups. This can manifest into outright hatred of a group of people, usually by account of race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, religion, gender, or sex.
2. Viewing democratic processes as "getting in the way" of things getting done. For example, separation of powers, checks and balances, independent judiciary, legal checks on corruption, etc.
3. Expressing desire for a powerful executive branch, usually at the expense of other branches of government.