Moral Judgment,Organizational Incentives and Collective Action: Participation in Abortion Politics

Abstract

Abortion politics affords an opportunity to examine how moral judgments are translated into collective action. Two approaches are examined. Cogni tive developmental theory underscores moral development as a necessary condition of activism while rational choice theory emphasizes the necessity of appropriate incentive structures as a condition of participation in purposive organizations. Each theory is operationalized and the effects of moral development and organizational incentives on political activism are measured. Three significant conclusions emerge contradicting central tenets of each theory. First, moral development has no positive effect on any form of participation. Second, material and solidarity incentives, not normative incentives associated with the provision of a public good, have the strongest effect on abortion activism. Third, moral development signifi cantly affects incentive choice, thereby having an indirect effect on political activism. The theoretical implications suggested by the findings are then discussed.