Humanitarianism, egalitarianism, and support for political compromise

Barker, D. C., Carman, C. J. and Bowler, S. (2023) Humanitarianism, egalitarianism, and support for political compromise. American Politics Research, 51(1), pp. 91-107. (doi: 10.1177/1532673X221123037)

Abstract

Democratic policymaking requires compromise, but public support for it varies substantially. Scholars know relatively little about the psychology of such public attitudes. In this investigation, we consider the predictive capacities of humanitarianism (a commitment to helping those who are suffering) and egalitarianism (a commitment to treating people equally). Such altruistic values, we argue, foster concern for the common good and a cooperative vision of democratic policymaking — which, in turn, engender support for compromise. Moreover, we suggest that partisan differences in such values (with Democrats being more likely than Republicans to prioritize them, on average), help explain Democrats’ disproportionate support for compromise. Data from two nationally representative studies are consistent with this theoretical perspective, offering novel insights into the roots of political compromise, the reach of core values as political determinants, and the dynamics of partisan asymmetry.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Carman, Professor Christopher
• Authors: Barker, D. C., Carman, C. J., and Bowler, S.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: American Politics Research
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 1532-673X
• ISSN (Online): 1552-3373
• Published Online: 06 September 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in American Politics Research 51(1): 91-107
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy