Political ideology and generosity around the globe.

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Behavioral Economics
• Political Science

Background:

• Generosity is crucial, especially during global crises like COVID-19.
• Generosity operates at both universalistic (international) and local (national) levels.
• Political ideology's impact on generosity, particularly across different contexts, remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate political ideology as a determinant of generosity at national and international levels.
• To test if left-leaning individuals exhibit greater general and international generosity.
• To examine the association between political ideology and national generosity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of donation decisions from over 46,000 participants across 68 countries.
• A task involving choices between donating to national versus international charities.
• Statistical analysis controlling for various factors and incorporating governance quality.

Main Results:

• Left-leaning individuals were more likely to donate generally and internationally.
• Right-leaning individuals demonstrated a higher propensity for national donations.
• The quality of governance significantly influenced the relationship between political ideology and generosity types.

Conclusions:

• Political ideology is a significant factor shaping generosity at both national and international scales.
• Findings highlight distinct patterns of giving based on political orientation.
• Cross-country variations in generosity are partly explained by governance quality and political ideology.