The Role of Political Ideology in Public Opinion toward Enumerated Antibullying Policies in Public Schools

Abstract

AbstractAll 50 U.S. states now have some type of Antibullying law on the books, and since the initial passage of these bills, many states are now moving into the next phase of policy implementation by reforming and updating their initial legislation. While the initial adoption phase in most states was of low salience and noncontroversial for the public, there is now a more politically divisive debate surrounding the topic: enumerating the laws to protect specific groups. We discuss the use of Antibullying policies around the country along with the political debate over enumeration. Empirically, we examine public attitudes toward adding enumerated protections to existing Antibullying laws for various groups. Using a survey experiment from the 2016 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we find that public support for enumeration depends on both the group characteristics considered for protection and individuals' ideology.Related ArticlesGarner, Andrew. 2013. “Ambivalence, the Intergroup Contact Hypothesis, and Attitudes about Gay Rights.” Politics & Policy 41 (2): 241‐266. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12010Nevbahar, Ertas. 2015. “Policy Narratives and Public Opinion Concerning Charter Schools.” Politics & Policy 43 (3): 426‐451. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12120Smith‐Walter, Aaron, Holly L. Peterson, Michael D. Jones, Ashley Nicole, and Reynolds Marshall. 2016. “Gun Stories: How Evidence Shapes Firearm Policy in the United States.” Politics & Policy 44 (6): 1053‐1088. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12187