Work Package III

Work Package III investigates the social effects of moralization with a focus on the consequences for public debate. This work package collects and analyses focus group discussions designed to vary in their level of moralization. We hypothesise that deliberation will be compromised in groups high in moralization. In contrast, low-moralization groups are expected to be more pragmatic and compromise seeking, despite disagreements about immigration. This work package will contribute with a novel way of investigating the consequences of moral conviction on affective polarization through public discourse, as existing work is heavily survey based. The results will carry important implications for democratic dialogue under conditions of moralization.