How value Systems Affect Viewpoints: Overcoming political polarization with moral psychology.

• Author: Harward, Brian
• Position: RETHINKING BUDGETING

Fairness is elemental to the role of the public finance officer. In today's political environment, it is impossible to discuss fairness without discussing political polarization. This article introduces the field of "moral psychology" to explain how people of different political persuasions see the world differently. When the finance officer understands differences in underlying value systems, it is easier to navigate the conflicts posed by political polarization.

Moral Psychology

How we decide what is just and fair is rooted in moral thinking. Different opinions on justice and fairness can stem from different values and how those values are applied. A leading theory in moral psychology is Moral Foundations Theory. This framework asserts that all people have the same six moral foundations (building blocks from which they form their moral worldview). We all have access to these foundations, but we build upon them in personalized ways and to different degrees, ultimately developing our personal moral values and viewpoints.

The theory puts forth six foundations of morality:

1 | CARE/HARM. We've evolved to feel (and dislike) the pain of others, leading to virtues of kindness, gentleness, and nurturance.

2 | FAIRNESS/CHEATING: Stemming from reciprocal altruism, we value justice, rights, and autonomy, expressed as the pursuit of equality and/or proportionality.

3 | LOYALTY/BETRAYAL (IN-GROUP): Due to our history of grouping with other people for safety and shared goals, we value the idea of being a loyal member of groups, explaining affinity for patriotism and self-sacrifice in favor of groups.

4 | AUTHORITY/SUBVERSION: Humans have always had hierarchies, like other primates, resulting in a preference in favor of respect for authority, leadership/followership, and respecting traditions.

5 | SANCTITY/DEGRADATION: From the psychology of disgust and contamination, these concerns evolved into religions, the idea that the body is a temple [and can be desecrated), and ways of striving to be elevated above our animal nature.

6 | LIBERTY/OPPRESSION:

We dislike when we, or others, are restricted or dominated by bullies or authority figures, causing us to oppose oppression in solidarity with other people.

While we all share the same moral foundations, people value and apply these foundations in different ways and to different degrees. Research shows that political liberals and political conservatives tend to prioritize different sets of moral foundations. Political liberals tend to prioritize care, fairness, and liberty more than the other values. Conservatives tend to apply more consistent weights to each dimension, but rate loyalty, authority, and sanctity as more important than liberals do. (1,2) We can see this in the following graphic. You can explore your own moral...