PIs: Andrew Bloeser, Associate Professor, Allegheny College; Tarah Williams, Assistant Professor, Allegheny College
Grant Amount: $2,500
Project Abstract: In recent years, some elected officials have engaged in behavior that has threatened democracy, yet a substantial number of citizens continue to support them. Why are people willing to support leaders who would trample on democratic norms and processes? We argue that moral psychology’s concept of moral diffusion can help us understand this process. Moral diffusion suggests that people who are not willing to directly take harmful actions toward others are more willing to support those who would take such actions on their behalf. In politics, supporting a leader who would harm others allows voters to achieve an outcome they want without having to take responsibility for that outcome. We propose a series of experiments to test this hypothesis. Evidence corroborating this theory would indicate an inherent but overlooked problem of democratic representation, namely, that representation can facilitate actions that violate democratic principles while freeing citizens from feeling accountable.
 Andrew Bloeser, Allegheny College |
 Tarah Williams; Allegheny College |