Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: How Identities Affect Preferences

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

The expression of citizens' preferences is a fundamental component of democracy. We know from existing research that preferences are strongly influenced by individuals' identities (i.e., the groups with which they identify). As demographics change, underlying preference distributions may also change, underscoring the importance of the research for academic and policy-making communities. The study's major intellectual merit is to investigate how the presence of multiple identities influences preferences. Because identities are increasingly overlapping at the individual level, Americans are more likely than ever to identify with more than one social and political group. These groups may feature complementary or competing interests. How do citizens reconcile these differences when forming policy preferences? Attachments to multiple identities can create internal conflict when two opposing sides of a debate line up with two of an individual's identities. The project includes three distinct studies that address identity and preferences, each seeking to answer an unresolved question about how individuals reconcile competing identity claims. The first study involves survey analyses of how identity influences engagement among Americans of varying identities. The second and third studies involve experimental designs that vary conditions to measure the influence of competing identities on mobilization and the mitigation of biased decision-making. The project is poised to produce several broad impacts. The insight drawn from this research will inform what we know about individuals with diverse identities and their political engagement. If people with multiple competing identities are engaged with politics, the project will enhance our understanding of political representation. If they are disengaged from politics, the project will identify potential challenges to political participation and representation. The project will provide a deeper understanding of the changing role of identity on political behavior, and lay the foundation for future work in this increasingly important area.