Social Justification and Political Legitimacy : How Voters Rationalize Direct Democratic Economic Policy in America

This volume explores voters’ political rationalizations. The author analyzes semi-structured interview data from 120 American voters collected from 2013-2015 about their positions on three economic referenda―or “direct democratic economic policies” (DDEPs) on the Arizona state ballot from 2008-2012. Building on the literature on voter reasoning and rationalization, the author firstly probes how the intersection of economic position and partisan affiliation shape partisan voters’ rationalizations of their DDEP positions. Secondly, he investigates the political and economic discourses that voters use to justify their DDEP positions. This book extends classic sociological theories of individual-level and collective legitimacy, along with contemporary theories of voter rationalization. The findings also help to build theories of American political ideology and values, neoliberalism, moral economy, and norms of self-interest. Acknowledgments Contents List of Tables 1 Introduction Empirical Issue: Direct Democratic Economic Policy (DDEP) Legitimation Empirical Puzzles Empirical Agenda Research Question 1: How Do Partisanship and Self-interest Interact to Shape Partisan Voters’ Rationalizations of Their Position on Direct Democratic Economic Policy (DDEP)? Research Question 2: What Are the Discourses That Voters Draw Upon to Rationalize Their Direct Democratic Economic Policy (DDEP) Position? Theory Building Agenda and Generalizability Case Selection Research Design Research Agenda for the Selection of Each of the Three Ballot Measures Chapter Overview Bibliography Part I 2 Theory Introduction Legitimacy and Legitimation Legitimacy Legitimation Framework for Research Questions Widely Held Beliefs Values: Most Sacred Values Normative Ends: Norms of Self-Interest Standards of Governance: Fairness Fairness: Moral Economy Fairness: Neoliberalism Building on Direct Democracy Literature Literature in Political Science and Economics on Direct Democracy Debate on Direct Versus Representative Democracy Bibilography 3 Analytical Approach and Broader American Political and Economic Discourses Analytical Approach Generalizability Outline of Code Generation Process Coding: Turning Talk into “Rationales” Core Theories Core Theories: Most Sacred Values Normative Ends: Norms of Self-Interest Inductively Generated Codes Fairness: Moral Economy Fairness: Neoliberalism Bibliography 4 Data and Methods Semi-structured Interview Procedures Quasi-Experimental Research Design Operationalization of Quasi-Independent Variables Operationalization of Partisanship as Partisan Affiliation Operationalization of Self-Interest as Economic Position Summary of Quasi-Independent Variable Operationalizations Theoretical Sampling Strategy Recruitment Criteria Recruitment Practices Achieved Case Set Bibliography Part II 5 Proposition 201 (2008) Introduction Arizona’s Proposition 201 (2008): “Homeowners’ Bill of Rights” Social Context Background of the Measure Summary of Arizona’s Proposition 201 (2008): “Homeowners’ Bill of Rights” Quasi-Experimental Design and Quasi-Independent Variables Research Design Quasi-Independent Variables Quasi-Independent Variable 1: Economic Position Quasi-Independent Variable 2: Partisan Affiliation Quasi-Independent Variable 3: DDEP Position Quasi-Experimental Anomalies: Legitimations that Span Economic Position and/or Partisan Affiliation Libertarianism Neoliberalism Moral Economy Legitimations: Operationalization as Rationales and Coding Rationales Rationale Types Economic Position Rationales Partisan Affiliation Rationales Anomalous Rationales: Libertarianism Anomalous Rationales: Neoliberalism Anomalous Rationales: Moral Economy Analysis Rationales and Rationale Groupings Distinctive Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship) and Economic Position (Self-Interest) Legitimations Legitimations Distinctive of Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship) and DDEP Position Alignment and Opposition Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Legitimations Distinctive of Economic Position (Self-Interest) and DDEP Position Alignment and Opposition Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Legitimations Distinctive of Alignments and Oppositions of Economic Position (Self-Interest), Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship), and DDEP Position Expected DDEP Position for Economic Position and Partisan Affiliation Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Unexpected DDEP Position for Economic Position and Partisan Affiliation Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Conflicting Expectations: Expected DDEP Position for Economic Position, Unexpected DDEP Position for Partisan Affiliation Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Conflicting Expectations: Expected DDEP Position for Partisan Affiliation, Unexpected DDEP Position for Economic Position Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Bibliography 6 Proposition 202 (2008) Introduction Arizona’s Proposition 202 (2008): “Arizona Stop Illegal Hiring” Social Context Background of the Measure Summary of Arizona’s Proposition 202 (2008): “Arizona Stop Illegal Hiring” Quasi-Experimental Design and Quasi-Independent Variables Research Design Quasi-Independent Variables Quasi-Independent Variable 1: Economic Position Quasi-Independent Variable 2: Partisan Affiliation Quasi-Independent Variable 3: DDEP Position Quasi-Experimental Anomalies: Legitimations That Span Economic Position and/or Partisan Affiliation Libertarianism Neoliberalism Moral Economy Legitimations: Operationalization as Rationales and Coding Rationales Rationale Types Economic Position Rationales Partisan Affiliation Rationales Anomalous Rationales: Libertarianism Anomalous Rationales: Neoliberalism Anomalous Rationales: Moral Economy Analysis Rationales and Rationale Groupings Distinctive Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship) and Economic Position (Self-Interest) Legitimations Legitimations Distinctive of Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship) and DDEP Position Alignment and Opposition Legitimations Distinctive of Economic Position (Self-Interest) and DDEP Position Alignment and Opposition Legitimations Distinctive of Alignments Economic Position (Self-Interest), Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship), and DDEP Position Expected DDEP Position for Economic Position and Partisan Affiliation Unexpected DDEP Position for Economic Position and Partisan Affiliation Conflicting Expectations: Expected DDEP Position for Economic Position, Unexpected DDEP Position for Partisan Affiliation Conflicting Expectations: Expected DDEP Position for Partisan Affiliation, Unexpected DDEP Position for Economic Position Bibliography 7 Proposition 204 (2012) Introduction Arizona’s Proposition 204 (2012): “The Quality Education and Jobs Act” Social Context Background of the Measure Summary of Arizona’s Proposition 204 (2012): “The Quality Education and Jobs Act” Quasi-experimental Design and Quasi-independent Variables Research Design Quasi-independent Variables Quasi-independent Variable 1: Economic Position Quasi-independent Variable 2: Partisan Affiliation Quasi-independent Variable 3: DDEP Position Quasi-experimental Anomalies: Legitimations That Span Economic Position and/or Partisan Affiliation Libertarianism Neoliberalism Moral Economy Legitimations: Operationalization as Rationales and Coding Rationales Rationale Types Economic Position Rationales Partisan Affiliation Rationales Anomalous Rationales: Libertarianism Anomalous Rationales: Neoliberalism Anomalous Rationales: Moral Economy Analysis Rationales and Rationale Groupings Distinctive Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship) and Economic Position (Self-Interest) Legitimations Legitimations Distinctive of Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship) and DDEP Position Alignment and Opposition Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Legitimations Distinctive of Economic Position (Self-Interest) and DDEP Position Alignment and Opposition Findings for RQ1 Legitimations Distinctive of Alignments and Oppositions of Economic Position (Self-Interest), Partisan Affiliation (Partisanship), and DDEP Position Expected DDEP Position for Economic Position and Partisan Affiliation Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Unexpected DDEP Position for Economic Position and Partisan Affiliation Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Conflicting Expectations: Expected DDEP Position for Economic Position, Unexpected DDEP Position for Partisan Affiliation Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Conflicting Expectations: Expected DDEP Position for Partisan Affiliation, Unexpected DDEP Position for Economic Position Findings for RQ1 Findings for RQ2 Bibliography 8 Moral Economies Introduction Literature Review: Moral Economy Qualitative Approach Rationales Legitimations and Rationale Groupings Proposition 201 (2008) Summary of Arizona’s Proposition 201 (2008): “Homeowners’ Bill of Rights” Proposition 201 (2008) Rationales Empirical Analysis for Proposition 201 (2008) Moral Economy of Support Moral Economy of Opposition Proposition 202 (2008) Summary of Arizona’s Proposition 202 (2008): “Arizona Stop Illegal Hiring” Proposition 202 (2008) Rationales Empirical Analysis for Proposition 202 (2008) Moral Economy of Support Moral Economy of Opposition Proposition 204 (2012) Summary of Arizona’s Proposition 204 (2012): “The Quality Education and Jobs Act” Proposition 204 (2012) Rationales Empirical Analysis for Proposition 204 (2012) Moral Economy of Support Moral Economy of Opposition Bibliography 9 Conclusion and Theory Building Introduction Theory Building Agenda and Generalizability Research Question 1: How Do Partisanship and Self-Interest Interact to Shape Partisan Voters’ Rationalizations of Their Position on Direct Democratic Economic Policy (DDEP)? Legitimation Motives That Influence Legitimation Research Question 2: What are the Discourses That Voters Draw Upon to Rationalize Their Direct Democratic Economic Policy (DDEP) Position? Values, Normative Ends, and Standards of Governance Normative Ends (Norms of Self-Interest) Proposition 201 Proposition 202 Implications for Findings: Norms of Self-Interest as Folk Economics Values (Most Sacred Values) Proposition 201 Proposition 202 Implications Libertarianism (Most Sacred Values) Proposition 202 Neoliberalism (Standards of Governance) Proposition 201 Proposition 202 Proposition 204 Moral Economy (Standards of Governance) Proposition 201 Proposition 202 Implications and Future Directions Socialization Voter Ignorance Populism Bibliography Index