The privileged liberal principle‐implementation gap: How the personal behavior of privileged liberals contributes to social inequality

Abstract

AbstractMuch of the work on the development and maintenance of group inequality has focused on a select number of advantaged groups, resulting in a “blind spot” regarding the role of liberals in contributing to social inequality. The present work tests for a privileged liberal principle‐implementation gap, the notion that under conditions that make personal stake salient privileged liberals exhibit a gap between their self‐reported principles and behavioral tendencies. The studies focus on three areas critical to inequality: employment (i.e., affirmative action; Studies 1a and 4), education (i.e., equal access to education for the working class; Study 1b), and housing (i.e., access to affordable housing; Study 1c), as well as support for the homeless (Studies 2 and 3). The results demonstrate that privileged liberals report higher principles to reduce inequality compared to conservatives, but in settings with salient personal stake exhibit no differences in behavior compared to conservatives. The findings also provide direct experimental evidence for the role of personal stake in shaping the privileged liberal P‐I gap. Implications for the study of inequality and impact on Black/Brown working‐class communities, as well as a class‐based approach to social change, are discussed.