The Role of Political Partisanship and Moral Beliefs in Leadership Selection

What roles do political partisanship and moral beliefs play in people’s support for particular leaders? The current studies suggest that people with politically conservative views may support dominant leaders (those who use assertiveness, formal authority, and intimidation to influence others) because such leaders are viewed as likely to share conservatives’ moral priorities. Compared to liberals, conservatives reported higher prioritization of group-binding moral foundations. Those moral priorities, in turn, statistically mediated conservatives’ support for dominant leaders. Compared to conservatives, liberals reported higher prioritization of individualizing moral foundations, as well as deprioritization of group-binding moral foundations. Those moral priorities, in turn, statistically mediated liberals’ support for prestige-based leaders (those relying on knowledge, skill, and freely conferred deference to influence others). The current work provides new insight into how people’s moral priorities may underlie their preference for particular types of leaders.