| For over a decade, patriotism has been a subject of deep cultural resonance in America (Huntington 2004). Historians and philosophers regularly debate whether or not national affection demands critical analysis (e.g. Schatz, Staub, and Lavine 1999; Schweikart and Allen 2007), or whether it should even be geographically bounded at all (e.g. Nussbaum 1996; Primoratz 2002). Political leaders increasingly use patriotic rhetoric to advance arguments and garner support from the public (e.g. Palin 2010; Romney 2009). And prominent policies frequently imply some level of commitment to either the nation or its first principles (e.g. multiple wars, domestic wiretapping, restrictions on the writ of habeas corpus). Yet despite that patriotism has proven at times capable of structuring political judgments (Sullivan et al. 1992), few researchers have sought to systematically evaluate its role in American politics.;In this dissertation, I assess the causes, consequences, and constraint surrounding contemporary patriotic belief. I examine the leading social, psychological, and political antecedents using a relatively new theoretical framework that emphasizes individuals' differential tendencies to support the status quo and justify existing societal arrangements (Jost and Banaji 1994). Also, I challenge the extant culture war paradigm that explains political preferences on the basis of religious motivation (e.g. Hunter 1991; Layman and Green 2005). I argue instead that political opinions connected by cultural argumentation (Leege, Wald, Kreuger, and Mueller 2002) are best understood today according to patriotically orthodox and progressive worldviews. Finally, I adapt Peffley and Hurwitz's (1985) hierarchical model of attitude constraint to evaluate ideological reasoning at three different levels of ideational abstraction: fundamental predispositions, general attitudinal postures, and specific political opinions.;Results from multiple regression analysis and structural equation modeling largely confirm the core hypotheses of this research. Individuals anxious about changes in America's status and its basic domestic institutions generally adopted orthodox attachments to the nation. Such was the case in terms of their national pride, their willingness to criticize the country, their symbolic affections, as well as other aspects of patriotism that were strongly correlated. Also, patriotic belief proved a more potent and consistent predictor of political opinions than did measures of religious belief, belonging, and behavior. And an evaluation of attitude constraint indicated that while Americans may not walk around with sophisticated ideologies preformed, they are capable of meaningful abstract political reasoning. In all, findings from this research suggest that patriotism is an increasingly important concept, likely to influence American politics in the years to come. |
