The Political Economy of Morality Policies: Collective Choice and Denial

Some policies require moral judgments that are influenced by deeply held world-
views. Political scientists refer to these as morality policies. While preferences for
morality policies are shaped by worldviews, these worldviews themselves respond to
the policy environment, sometimes resulting in denial of an underlying problem. This
paper develops a theory of how collective choice institutions influence the formation
of preferences over morality policies. The model predicts that collective choice, especially with anonymous voting rules, generally amplifies denial, inhibiting policy action. Collective choice also generates polarization of worldviews if and only if action is implemented.