Group Identities and International Law across the Left-Right Divide

• In Event: Understanding Intra-party Norms and Polarization

Abstract

Norms can only be upheld if there is a perception that a norm violating actor will face condemnation. In this paper, we argue that when individuals learn about group endorsement for a norm-breaking actor, they tend to relativize the applicability of the norm. Moreover, intergroup relations shift in response: if political support for the norm-violator comes from an out-group, individuals distance themselves not only from the norm-violator and but also from the out-group more generally.
We employ a vignette experiment, informing respondents about the accusation against Frontex for conducting illegal pushbacks in the Mediterranean, yet is supported both by the majority of left-leaning and right-leaning individuals in Germany. People on the left and right react differently to the endorsement by their respective in- and out-group. Left-leaning respondents, when learning that the left endorses Frontex despite the accusations, do not alter their group identification nor their support for Frontex. But if the right is endorsing Frontex, left-leaning respondents distance themselves from the right. Conversely, right-leaning respondents amplify their support for Frontex in reaction to an in-group endorsement, but not in reaction to an out-group endorsement. We conclude that disclosing widespread support for norm-violating actors within specific groups legitimizes these actors and reshapes intergroup dynamics. The findings underscore the societal consequences of not holding actors accountable for challenging the core values of liberal democratic systems.

Authors

• Ronja Sczepanski, ETH Zurich

• Jana Lipps, ETH Zurich

• Giorgio Malet, University of Zurich