Ideology and Ideological Modes of Reasoning: A Theory of Contingent Preference Formation
Year: 2009
Type: preprint
Abstract: Focusing on foreign policy, this study formulates a theory of contingent reasoning. Choices between alternative courses of action, we show, are a function of the interaction of ideological dispositions and asymmetries in causal attributions. In a series of experiments embedded in a national survey we find that liberals and conservatives differ in the value they attach to multilateral processes and also in the emphasis they put on the character of the countries involved. Conservatives treat the character they attribute to countries as a significant feature guiding policy choice; liberals attach more weight to context and procedure. Contrary to the impression of much previous research, then, ideology thus plays a consequential role in foreign policy reasoning in mass publics. Conservatives and liberals consistently take opposing sides of foreign policy choices as a function of consistently following distinctive decision rules that focus their attention on different features of choice situations.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Authors: Richard Herrmann, Paul M. Sniderman
Institutions: The Ohio State University, Stanford University
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W97456856