Cara J. Wong – författare

This book shows how ordinary Americans imagine their communities and the extent to which their communities' boundaries determine who they believe should benefit from the government's resources via redistributive policies. By contributing extensive empirical analyses to a largely theoretical discussion, it highlights the subjective nature of communities while confronting the elusive task of pinning down 'pictures in people's heads'. A deeper understanding of people's definitions of their communities and how they affect feelings of duties and obligations provides a new lens through which to look at diverse societies and the potential for both civic solidarity and humanitarian aid. This book analyzes three different types of communities and more than eight national surveys. Wong finds that the decision to help only those within certain borders and ignore the needs of those outside rests, to a certain extent, on whether and how people translate their sense of community into obligations.

This book shows how ordinary Americans imagine their communities and the extent to which their communities' boundaries determine who they believe should benefit from the government's resources via redistributive policies. By contributing extensive empirical analyses to a largely theoretical discussion, it highlights the subjective nature of communities while confronting the elusive task of pinning down 'pictures in people's heads'. A deeper understanding of people's definitions of their communities and how they affect feelings of duties and obligations provides a new lens through which to look at diverse societies and the potential for both civic solidarity and humanitarian aid. This book analyzes three different types of communities and more than eight national surveys. Wong finds that the decision to help only those within certain borders and ignore the needs of those outside rests, to a certain extent, on whether and how people translate their sense of community into obligations.

In this interdisciplinary Handbook, editors Ethan C. Busby, Christopher F. Karpowitz, and Cara J. Wong explore not just what political psychology is but what it could be. In so doing, they - and the chapter authors - examine and expand political psychology’s scope and relevance. Bringing together a diverse array of authors to examine both core topics and emerging themes, they combine foundational insights with fresh perspectives to consider what innovations exist and are needed in the field of political psychology. The chapters take a range of approaches. Some feature detailed case studies, advancing the understanding of key political psychology concepts and highlighting emerging intersections with other innovative fields. Others outline cutting-edge developments in theory and methods – across research areas including social psychology, behavioral economics, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, genetics, and computational social science – and discuss how those contribute to political psychology. By considering these new perspectives and possibilities, the Handbook of Innovations in Political Psychology presents a future of more inclusive, rigorous, and impactful political psychology research. Offering a retrospective and prospective investigation into the landscape of political psychology, this Handbook is an invaluable resource for students and researchers in political theory and science, public policy, and social psychology. Political practitioners such as government officials, political operatives, and pollsters will also find this informative.