Ideological labels carry symbolic rather than issue-based meaning for the public.

Evidence

In summary, in three important respects, our data analysis has provided support for our specification of the processes underlying the development of ideological selfidentifications. First, although there may be some reciprocal effects between the two, the data are consistent with our assumption that causality runs primarily from evaluations of ideological labels to self-identification. Not only do such evaluations have a strong impact on selfidentification, but they also mediate almost all of the impact which issues and symbols have on such identifications. Furthermore, neither of the two major alternative models of the relationship between self-identifications and evaluations fits the data very well, nor are either of them theoretically consistent with a lack of bipolarity. Second, and related to our first point, three key findings run contrary to the traditional bipolar conception of ideological identifications: the absence of any strong negative correlation between evaluations of liberals and conservatives; the relationships of different symbols and issue stances to those evaluations; and the different emphasis which liberals and conservatives placed on various categories in their definitions of ideological terms. Finally, our analysis indicates that ideological labels, and consequently self-identifications, have largely symbolic, nonissue-oriented meaning to the mass public. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2080 (#expands, via linked claim)

This case illustrates well what we mean by constraint between idea-elements and how such constraint depends upon a store of relevant information. For this man, “Socialists,” “the working man,” “non-Socialists” and “the rich” with their appropriate valences formed a tightly constrained belief system. But, for lack of information, the belief system more or less began and ended there. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1892 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Contentious political categories like riot are symbolically but not causally coherent. — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 301; Ideological support tracks regime appearances rather than citizens’ actual welfare.; Ideological labels function as group identities, not coherent philosophies. (+14 more)

Broader Connections

• Ideological self-identification is driven by symbolic label evaluations, not issue positions. #expands (0.92) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2080
• Ideological belief constraint depends on stored knowledge, not identity labels alone. #complicates (0.74) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1892