This year has been marked by a highly tumultuous political climate. From the election of President Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines to the recent election of Donald Trump in the United States to Brexit, with the the rise of conservative political parties in France and Germany and the rejection of the Colombian peace treaty happening in between, there appears to be a growing inclination toward right-wing ideologies.

Many political scientists see this shift as a consequence of populism and a global fight against an elite class that has been in power for a long time. Will Gore, deputy managing editor of the Independent and the London Evening Standard, explained how Trump’s election touches on why the negative portrayals of him in the media were not enough to dismantle his campaign.

“The point is that Trump has simply lumped in critical media voices with the wider liberal elite which was the focus of so many of his attacks and thus neutered the would-be watchdogs,” noted Gore. Other arguments that highlight this conservative turn detail how people around the world are starting to see liberal governments as incapable of enacting powerful and lasting change. Nash Jenkins, a Hong Kong-based reporter for Time Magazine, argues that Duterte’s presidency describes this phenomenon of popular dissatisfaction with the state of a nation.

“He is, [Filipinos] believe, the sort of bombastic firebrand who can clean up a crime-riddled nation and eradicate endemic corruption,” wrote Jenkins. Even though this is an observable pattern, many remain shocked after each election result. The reason behind this shock is often incorrect polling numbers.

Liberals, as a recent Pew Research Center survey found, tend to be more likely to remove people with opposing views from their social media networks. This often means that voicing opinions that are considered conservative is looked down upon and even ostracized. This hesitation to voice one’s opinion can lead to inaccurate polling numbers.

In a wider frame, Trump has come to power as right-wing movements are ascending around the world. Conservative and reactionary politics have fueled support for governments in Russia, Turkey, India and the Philippines and threaten to further fracture the European Union.

The contexts of these right-wing movements are all different, but a similar pattern emerges: impatience with a supposedly corrupt or broken political system, resentment of affluent elites and a belief that only tough, strong leadership can save the day.