Partisan Goals, Emotions, and Political Mobilization: The Role of Motivated Reasoning in Pressuring Others to Vote

Abstract

Direct political action appears irrational because it is costly yet cannot meaningfully affect political outcomes. Research shows that social pressure can solve this problem: the social costs of not voting often outweigh the personal costs of voting. But this creates another puzzle, one that is our focus: why do citizens pressure each other? Drawing on theories of partisanship and partisan-motivated reasoning, we test whether social pressure is motivated by partisan goals. First, in a population-based US sample, we compare party members versus independents. Second, in a Danish student sample, we experimentally manipulate partisan motivation. We use and validate emotions—anger and gratitude—as an index of motivation to engage in social pressure. In both studies we find identical effects: partisan-motivated reasoners are more likely to be motivated to pressure others and to direct such motivations toward in-group (and not out-group) members. Partisan goals help explain social pressure.