Beliefs about Responsibility and Improvement Associated with Liberal-Conservative Justice Beliefs

Abstract

This study investigated the association between belief in the possibility of human improvement, beliefs about responsibility, and liberal-conservative beliefs about justice. 510 predominantly middle-class subjects were administered the Attributions of Responsibility Questionnaire and asked to respond to a series of policy-related issues concerning either distributive justice or retributive justice. Analyses indicated that liberal-conservative beliefs about justice were associated with beliefs about the possibility of human improvement and beliefs about responsibility. Findings may be interpreted to suggest that self-identified liberals and conservatives may hold differing pragmatic views about the anticipated effectiveness of reform, rehabilitation, and re-allocation of resources.