The impact of political ideology on conssumer behavior

Abstract

As the political partisanship divide grows in the U. S., and perhaps world-wide, political ideology has become a prominent individual difference variable that likely impacts people’s decision-making across various domains, including voting preference, daily life choices, as well as consumer behavior, which is the focus of my dissertation. Specifically, I investigate how political ideology drives one’s consumption decisions, which improves lives, strengthens society and might benefit the world at large. This dissertation includes two essays. In Essay 1, I examine the impact of political ideology on one’s preference for self-improvement products. In Essay 2, I investigate the impact of political ideology on one’s preference for volunteering behaviors.