UC Merced

IC orientation is a construct that summarizes fundamental differences in how people see the relationship between individuals and how they view themselves in relation to others. The current dissertation explores the role of IC orientation in American political attitudes and behaviors. Using a nationally representative sample, I conduct a series of regression analyses and show that variation in individualism-collectivism orientation predicts various policy attitudes, likelihood of partisan identification, higher levels of affective polarization, and some aspects of political engagement. This dissertation serves as an initial assessment of the role variation in IC orientation plays in political attitudes and behaviors, directions for further research are discussed.