Above and Below Left–Right: Ideological Narratives and Moral Foundations

Abstract

Why do people vary in their views of human nature and their visions of the good society? Why do many people categorize themselves as “liberal, ” “conservative,” “libertarian, ” “socialist, ” and so on? Some researchers try to answer these questions by starting with people’s self-identifications and then moving “down,” examining traits (such as openness to experience) that underlie and predict endorsement of an ideological label (see Jost, Glaser, Kruglanski, & Sulloway, 2003, and Sibley & Duckitt, 2008, for reviews). In contrast, others find it more informative to move “up ” from such labels, examining the network of meanings, strivings, and personal narratives that unite the individuals who endorse a label (e.g., Conover & Feldman,