November 6, 2019
Allison Anoll (Vanderbilt University)
A growing literature testifies to the importance of social pressure for shaping political participation, but what are the underlying norms that prescribe involvement in politics? Using a grounded-theory approach that involves interviews and original large-N survey data, I find that the honoring ancestors norm, defined as the social expectation to recognize and respect the legacy of those in the past, is a potent norm in the United States that varies systematically in its connection to politics across racial groups. Furthermore, a political interpretation of the honoring ancestors norm predicts validated voter turnout at rates outpacing recruitment, education, and efficacy, and priming the norm experimentally increases the perceived value of participation, but only for those groups who see the norm as requiring political involvement. The results suggest that different groups tie norms to politics in ways that reflect unique historical narratives and concepts of group membership, ultimately affecting who engages in the political sphere.