Four Essays on the Empirical Analysis of Political Ideology

Author: Foley, Peter William

Year: 2013

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Alvarez, R. Michael

Committee Members: Katz, Jonathan N.; Alvarez, R. Michael; Adolphs, Ralph; Camerer, Colin F.

Option: Social Science

DOI: 10.7907/TCJ9-3525

Abstract

This thesis examines four distinct facets and methods for understanding political ideology, and so it includes four distinct chapters with only moderate connections between them. Chapter 2 examines how reactions to emotional stimuli vary with political opinion, and how the stimuli can produce changes in an individuals political preferences. Chapter 3 examines the connection between self-reported fear and item nonresponse on surveys. Chapter 4 examines the connection between political and moral consistency with low-dimensional ideology, and Chapter 5 develops a technique for estimating ideal points and salience in a low-dimensional ideological space.

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