Political Ideology and the Legitimization of Social Inequalities in Colombia

Abstract

This article examines the effect of left-right political ideology on attitudes toward inequality and the maintenance of the status quo in Colombia. In three studies, we examined the influence of political orientation on attitudes towards economic inequality (Study 1, N = 506), gender inequality (Study 2, N = 277), and political inequality (Study 3, N = 1,555). Our results suggest that people positioning further to the right on the political spectrum —political conservatism—were consistently associated with lower perception of social inequalities, greater justification of the unequal status quo, and refusal to take actions that redress inequality. These results were consistent across different domains, such as economic, political and gender inequalities. Furthermore, our findings also suggest that political ideology was also associated with political and affective polarization. Political ideology is discussed as a category that allows people to perceive and understand the social world from which they position themselves in relation to political issues.