The perception of politicians’ morality. Attacks and defenses.

Through an experiment included in a nationwide survey conducted prior to the 2014 European elections, we investigated whether citizens’ agreement with policies dealing with the global issue of climate change depends on how such policies are framed and citizens’ identification with the national or supranational entities enacting them. Participants were presented with different versions of a statement proposing investments in renewable energy sources, manipulated in terms of hedonic consequences (benefits of adoption vs adverse effects of non-adoption), regulatory concern (growth vs safety) and policy actor group membership (national vs supranational actor). Participants’ national/supranational identification was also measured. Participants’ agreement with the policy was stronger for congruently framed messages (i.e. messages framed in terms of positive growth-related consequences and negative safety-related consequences) than for incongruently framed messages. The effect of framing was further enhanced when the policy was attributed to a national or supranational actor with whom participants identified.